Arthur and the Minimoys

The first 100 pages are the set up before you get to the minimoy story but don't give up it's very fun when it picks up :)

I saw the film adaptation of this book (call me a big kid but how could I resist with such an impressive cast) and decidded I had to read the book so I picked up a copy of it together with its sequel as part of one book that had been released to celebrate the movie and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Luc Besson is not only a brilliant film director but he's also a brilliant story-teller. His metaphors and similes all show extremely skillful and witty wordplay and his characters are all very well developed and interesting. Arthur is a believable hero despite the fact that he's ten, Selenia is a nicely feisty heroine, her little brother, Betameche presents a dry foil to his sister's superego and the villain, Malthazar (not Maltazard or even Malthazard) is a highly entertaining villain. The story starts with ten year old hero Arthur who lives in nineteen thirties America in the wake of the Wallstreet Crash. He spends most of his time with his grandmother on account of his parents constantly being away trying to get new jobs. His grandfather mysteriously disappeared years ago and the courts have declared him legally dead and now an unscrupulous property developer named Ernest Davido (a somwhat comical but still threatening villain) is trying to evict Arthur and his grandmother from their land. To save his grandmother's property Arthur starts looking for the fabled treasure of the Minimoys, a race of tiny elves that if his grandfather's bedtime stories are to be believed reside at the bottom of Arthur's garden. With the help of a mysterious tribe named the Bogo-Matasallai Arthur manages to infiltrate the land of the Minimoys and is shrunk down to their size. Now with the help of the warrior princess Selenia and her annoying little brother Betameche, Arthur must rescue the treasure from the evil wizard Malthazar, ruler of the Forbidden City of Necropolis. The book is beautifully written and a real page turner that grips you from start to finish and the film is well worth seeing as well.

Reading Arthur and the Minimoys is like watching a movie...and after reading some reviews, I can see way. It's being developed as a CGI movie in 2007, that said it's also a romping good adventure...a kind of Honey I Shrunk the Kids meets The Secret of Nimh with a smidge of Indiana Jones. As the story starts out, we meet Arthur who is staying with his Grandma and both sorely miss Grandpa who disappeared without a trace four years before. Family love is clearly present and Arthur really loves to visit with his Grandfathers collection of African books and masks, reliving through this the many adventures his Grandfather had as a younger man. It is the day of Arthur's tenth birthday the dastardly Mr. Davido shows up and tells them they have three days to come up with the money they owe or he's taking the house and everything in it...it's at this moment that Arthur refuses to take it "lying down" sets out to find his grandfathers long lost treasure. From there, Arthur is transported to the miniature world of the Minimoys where he meets the feisty princess Selenia and her somewhat silly (but quite loveable) brother Beta. They set out together on an Adventure that spans the garden (which is a vast and dangerous as the wildest jungle from the height of ¾ of an inch) to stop the evil M, the cursed! As they make their way to the Forbidden City they face innumerable obstacles with courage and a bit of humor! Will they make it to the Forbidden City? Will they be able to stop the evil M, the cursed? Will Arthur get the treasure back before the cruel Mr. Davido boots his grandma out of her house? Those things are left to a second book...but readers won't be too disappointed with the build up to the arrival at the city because the journey there is half the adventure and a whole lot of fun to read. Overall...this isn't great literature; it's just plain old fun reading. The story is easy to follow, the good guys are all good (and likeable even) the bad guys are all totally evil and the parallel story line between the "real" world (the M, the Cursed and Mr. Davido) and the world of the Minimoys adds a nice second layer to the story. This book would make nice light reading for a couple of nights for readers aged 8-12...nothing too taxing, but highly entertaining for a few hours! I give it four stars.

To say that I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. This book quickly became the top of my favorite books ever list. The way he captures the experience of first love is amazing. The words zing. The magical world unfolds before you leaving you wanting for more. The best buddy action book I've read. The real realationships just surprised me. I can't wait to see how this translates to film.

It all begins when ten year old Arthur and his grandmother are being forced to move out of their house. Arthur needs to find a treasure that his grandfather left behind before he went to the world of the half inch tall Minimoys to help fight M.the cursed (the most evil Minimoy of them all). But he never came back. Arthur thinks that he got captured by M. and will soon be killed. Then Arthur solves a riddle to get to the land of the Minimoys to save his grandfather and his home. "Arthur and the Minimoys" is a great book that's full of action, adventure, and a cliff hanging "to be continued..." end that makes you want to keep on reading. It leaves you with so many questions like: "Will Arthur survive?", "Is his house going to be saved?", and "Will Arthur find his lost grandfather and escape from M. the cursed?". It's a great book for people that like a little fantasy and a lot of action. Reading this book will make you want to read the sequel, "Arthur and the Forbidden City" where Arthur's adventures with the Minimoys continue. You'll be speechless after you read this story. I sure was. From sword fights to sibling fights, "Arthur and the Minimoys" is a great book for those action adventure lovers. So go to your nearest library and get a copy of Arthur and the Minimoys".