About the Author
Authors Life:
Brian Selznick, born in New Jersey in 1966, has created multiple fantastic books including, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck, and The Marvels. Brian is most well known for his book The Invention of Hugo Cabret which went on to win the Caldecott medal in 2008. This book went on to also become a movie called Hugo. His newest book is called The Marvels and In The Marvels, Brian based the main characters off of two living people. Their names are Dennis Servers, and David Milne. Dennis Servers created a silk weaver house in the 1800's and the house is kept as if the family still lives there. In The Marvels, Joseph arrives in London from previously running away to find his uncle, Albert Nightingale. Albert Nightingale directly correlates to Dennis Servers because Uncle Albert keeps his house as if there was a family living there with him. When Joseph walks into the house, he hears a strange chirping noise in the corner of the room as if there is a bird there, but there is nothing. He proceeds to walk up the stairs and he thinks he is hearing footsteps but there is no one around. This is the condition Albert keeps the house in to make it seem like the family is still living there. David Milne is also sort of like Uncle Albert because he keeps the house up and running so that this family is not forgotten in their home. Brian Set the story in London because he feels as though he has a connection to the city.
Brian Selznick, born in New Jersey in 1966, has created multiple fantastic books including, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck, and The Marvels. Brian is most well known for his book The Invention of Hugo Cabret which went on to win the Caldecott medal in 2008. This book went on to also become a movie called Hugo. His newest book is called The Marvels and In The Marvels, Brian based the main characters off of two living people. Their names are Dennis Servers, and David Milne. Dennis Servers created a silk weaver house in the 1800's and the house is kept as if the family still lives there. In The Marvels, Joseph arrives in London from previously running away to find his uncle, Albert Nightingale. Albert Nightingale directly correlates to Dennis Servers because Uncle Albert keeps his house as if there was a family living there with him. When Joseph walks into the house, he hears a strange chirping noise in the corner of the room as if there is a bird there, but there is nothing. He proceeds to walk up the stairs and he thinks he is hearing footsteps but there is no one around. This is the condition Albert keeps the house in to make it seem like the family is still living there. David Milne is also sort of like Uncle Albert because he keeps the house up and running so that this family is not forgotten in their home. Brian Set the story in London because he feels as though he has a connection to the city.
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"When it was time to start working on a new book, I was aware of the fact that Hugo is a kind of Valentine to Paris and Wonderstruck is a kind of Valentine to New York, and so I thought maybe it was time to write my Valentine to London." |
Author/Character Resemblance:
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brian Selznick said "But I think because there were a lot of things that happen to Joseph, and elements and ideas around his relationship with his uncle, and some parts of the story that deal with death and how we grieve that came directly from personal experiences I’ve had" and he also said that The Marvels was just about the most personal story he had ever created. Brian also thought it as important to capture him and Dennis Severs feelings when they were growing up. Since they are both gay he thought about adding a sense of loneliness in the community to show what it is like to be an outcast.
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brian Selznick said "But I think because there were a lot of things that happen to Joseph, and elements and ideas around his relationship with his uncle, and some parts of the story that deal with death and how we grieve that came directly from personal experiences I’ve had" and he also said that The Marvels was just about the most personal story he had ever created. Brian also thought it as important to capture him and Dennis Severs feelings when they were growing up. Since they are both gay he thought about adding a sense of loneliness in the community to show what it is like to be an outcast.