Artemis Fowl is a young-adult fantasy novel; the first book in a series of eight. It follows the escapades of Artemis, who is quite possibly the smartest person in Europe, if not the world. It is commonly acknowledged that he is responsible for nearly all the major crimes in Europe - a true criminal mastermind. Oh yes, and he's only twelve. When the story starts Artemis Fowl Snr has vanished, Angeline Fowl has gone mad and Artemis is alone with a huge estate, a dwindling fortune and a huge man who goes only by the name of Butler. What could possibly go wrong? A lot - like discovering a secret world of fairies who are less than happy to be unearthed. These fairies, in case you hadn't guessed are not your average, tutu sporting, wand waving sweetie pies who live in rose buds. Oh no. These are fairies of limited magic, ultimate technology and a hardened view of the world. By no means are they a naive species. Which is why it's a bad idea to try to kidnap an elf in a bid for a fairy gold ransom. A very bad idea indeed.
Butler is deeply mysterious, more like a machine than a man; and yet there are hints that he is as human as the rest as us when he is out of his job. His relationship to Artemis is an interesting one - Artemis is in control, yet he still seeks confirmation from Butler for his misdemeanours. They are more friends than boss and employee, and Artemis speaks to him in a way he speaks to no other - with respect. Artemis is made interesting by his extreme selfishness, and lack of care for others. I have to say I like that about him, and was slightly disappointed by him gradually becoming nicer; it dispels the allure of having a truly horrible main character. That's not to say he becomes soppy, as he really doesn't, it's just the nagging development of a conscience I'm talking about. Still, if that's the only thing I can find to complain about it really has to be good doesn't it?
Artemis Fowl is a fast paced, original and down right brilliant book. It combines fairies, action and super cool gadgets, which, as everyone knows, is always a winning combination. Colfer churns out witty jokes at an admirable rate, which, when partnered by the addictive character of Artemis, couple the action with a tasty sense of irony. It is in every way as good as the reviews suggest, and with a movie of it coming out soon it could well be the next Harry Potter, with laser guns and all!
No comments :
Post a Comment