Product Description

From the master storyteller comes a tale of gothic mystery as elegantly crafted as the most intricate clockwork. A tormented apprentice clock-maker - and a deadly knight in armour. A mechanical prince - and the sinister Dr Kalmenius, who some say is the devil- Compelling characters and superbly constructed narrative create a story that is funny, frightening, exciting, and clever. A gem.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10231 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
While Philip Pullman's greatest popularity is as a creator of novel-length magical realism for young adults, such as The Northern Lights, he continues to explore and stretch the limits of other children's and young adult genres. Clockwork is no exception. With its inspiration lying solidly in the German romantic tradition of E.T.A. Hoffmann and the Brothers Grimm, the story begins, as all good fairy tales do, with someone whose human weakness sets events inescapably in motion. As the townspeople of Glockenheim gather in the White Horse Tavern on the eve of the unveiling of a new figure for their great town clock, Karl, the clockmaker's apprentice, reveals to Fritz, a young storyteller, that he has not been able to construct the figure. A new clock figure is expected of all apprentices, and Karl is the first in hundreds of years to fail. Fritz, in his turn, has the beginnings of a new story to tell, and as it rolls off his tongue, its dark antagonist materializes and offers Karl his dearest wish. Not surprisingly, Karl's Faustian pact brings him destruction, but an innocent child is the deus ex machina that saves another child and the spirit of the town from seemingly ineluctable oblivion. With its eerie black-and-white illustrations by Leonid Gore and its happily-ever-after ending to some thrilling suspense, Clockwork is a fine fairy tale for younger children and a thought- provoking twist on the art of narrative for older ones. --Barrie Trinkle

From the Publisher
A classic Philip Pullman tale, reissued in a stunning new format.

From the Back Cover
Tick, tock, tick, tock! Some stories are like that. Once you've wend them up, nothing will stop them ...

A tormented apprentice clock-maker, a deadly mechanical knight in armour - and the sinister Dr Kalmenius, who some say is the devil ... Wind up these characters, fit them into a story on a cold winter's evening, with the snow swirling down, and suddenly life and the story begin to merge in a peculiarly macabre - and unstoppable - way.

Almost like clockwork ...

'Can fairly be compared to the great gothic fantasies of the greatly missed Leon Garfield ... For those who might want to read spooky stories this winter in front a flickering fire, this story could hardly be better' Independent

'Deeply satisfying and deserves to become a classic' TES

Customer Reviews

don't be put off by the skeleton on the cover -
'Clockwork' is one of the miniature marvels of modern storytelling, a thrilling tale about good versus evil, kindness versus selfishness and life versus art. The tape, read by Anton Lesser, has just kept my children spellbound in the car for its entire duration.

The great clock of Glockenheim (which really exists)features clockwork figures that come out and move at different times of day or year, and the prospect of a new one by Karl, the clock-maker's apprentice is an event that has people coming from far and wide. On the eve of this great event, a number of people gather in the local inn to hear the latest story by Frtiz, a novelist, who is famed for his hair-raising tales. The one he tells tonight is about their ruler, Prince Otto, who returned from a hunting expedition with his little son Florian, with no heart, only a piece of clockwork that caused him to lash and lash his horses...

Just so, says the narrator, is a story wound up - and this is a tale as finely balanced as a work by the sinister Dr.Kalemenius. How can a little clockwork Prince find a new heart? How can Karl redeem himself from not having fulfilled his contract?

A marvellous, creepy, wise and funny story about a Faustian pact and storytelling itself, it's perfect for children of 7 upwards.

Brilliant
I've read Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy and his Sally Lockhart quartet, and loved both series, and I'd been considering buying this for some time. I only got round to it a few days ago, and I'm so glad I did - it's an absolutely fantastic story, brilliantly constructed and written. Don't be put off by its appearance as a "kid's book" - I'm in my 20s and was blown away by it. It has the feel of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. There are quirky characters, magical and scary creations, and a wonderful atmosphere. What's so impressive about it is the way the story is constructed - just like, as the title suggest, clockwork. It's told in two separate parts, which both lead up to a third part when the two stories come together - but the second part is very much a part of the first part, seen from a different point of view. There are also insightful and amusing little asides on almost every page, little snippets of information, like the little cogs that all add up to make a clock work. You get little pieces of the puzzle, and finally everything comes together and makes sense at the end - it is a fantastic story. Overall, a wonderful book by Philip Pullman, who has the amazing ability to write stories that appeal to both adults and children. I can't wait to read more of his fairy tales.

A cliff hanger to remember...
Clockwork by Philip Pullman is one of the most gripping and entertaining books I have ever read, it has thrills and leaves you on a cliff hanger on almost every page.
I read it in about 3 or 4 days, it's one of those books which you start reading thinking you might not like it, then after a chapter you can't put the book down. It was the first Philip Pullman book I've read, and now I can't wait to read another one of his books, or even read Clockwork again.
I'd recommend it by far, and would you believe that I came across this book in my school.(WHAT A GREAT BOOK TO PICK!!)
From Romelly aged 10