It's been a while, a long while since I've managed to disappear into another world. These past few months have been, at the most, entertaining. Exciting, not thrilling. Tasteful, not mouth-watering. Indulgent, not overwhelmingly good. I can't tell if it's just me or the books. I could not, no matter how hard I tried, escape into the world beyond the pages. Paper and ink remained merely paper and ink. The words didn't jump out, they didn't dance in my mind forming beautiful faces and scenes as they once did. They remained still and lifeless; just words being read, nothing more. I thought I had lost it. No, what a silly notion. No one just loses their love of reading. That's not how it works. Right? It does seem that way, though.
Hmm, I shouldn't dwell on the past. I'm back now; or at least, my love is back. I found it, locked way back in my mind (or heart, those two go hand in hand, yes? Topic for another time). This book, it was the key. The key I've been searching for. It fits perfectly into the keyhole of that wretched chest in my mind (or heart) that stowed away my love for books. It is a young love, lots to develop and learn, but a love nonetheless. A love which I am glad to have back. I can now see the world beyond the paper, beyond the ink, the world of imagination where anything is possible. It's open to me as if nothing stood in my way. All I need to do is read a few words and I'm thrust back into the world of wonders. Everything comes to me clearly now. Pictures form in my mind as clearly as if I see them in real life. Sight and sound and even smell are no longer forced but flow willingly out of the pages into my mind. I'm free. Inkheart did the trick.
Now, I'm itching to read Inkspell (the second book in the Inkworld Trilogy). Tomorrow, I shall once again board the train of words that will surely take me into another 600 pages of wonder and excitement. Irony and humour, love and hate, classic good versus evil will dominate my mind. Hopefully I do not end it too fast. The finale, Inkdeath, is a good 7-10 working days away from my grasp. Imagine, finishing Inkspell fast and having to wait a whole day (or two or three) for Inkdeath. I'd go mad! Cornelia Funke has managed to capture me with her words. I love writers who love adjectives. They help me mould the characters in my mind, the setting and even they way everyone sounds. I've missed that ever since reading my first novel, HP6 by JKR. No one had yet managed to capture me quite like Ms. JKR (Dan Brown comes close though) but Ms. Cornelia Funke has done a pretty darn good job. I can't wait to see what happens in Inkspell; what adventures await Meggie and Farid, what becomes of Dustfinger and that little marten Gwin and what of Resa and Mo?