John Connolly - The Book of Lost Things

About this episode

John Connolly discusses his novel The Book of Lost Things, exploring themes of loss and the power of storytelling.

Harriett Gilbert welcomes John Connolly to World Book Club to answer your question on his beautiful, but twisted fairy tale - The Book of Lost Things. Set in the Second World War. The novel tells the tale of twelve-year-old David, who mourns the death of his mother while shut up in his attic bedroom with only his books for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him, tempting him... As his family falls apart, David is drawn into a world peopled by heroes and monsters of fairytale and myth, ruled by a shadowy king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things. Not a fairytale for children, the novel is unnerving, psychologically gripping, and achingly tender in parts. It explores how we survive loss, how we can grow braver than we ever thought was possible, and how the stories we cling to can both save us, and scar us. John will answer questions such as what is the hidden meaning behind the monsters young David must confront, why we return to fairy tales throughout our lives, and if he believes in ‘book magic’.

People in this episode

Host: Harriett Gilbert

Guest: John Connolly

Topics covered

• fairy tales
• loss
• psychological themes
• coming of age
• storytelling

Keywords

• John Connolly
• The Book of Lost Things
• fairy tale
• loss
• psychological gripping
• Second World War
• David
• monsters
• book magic

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Book of Lost Things

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