The iron wheel began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The room grew darker. As the light lessened, so did the sound. Deeba and Zanna stared at each other in wonder. The noise of the cars and vans and motorbikes outside grew tinny . . . The wheel turned off all the cars and turned off all the lamps. It was turning off London. Zanna and Deeba are two girls leading ordinary lives, until they stumble into the world of UnLondon, an urban Wonderland where all the lost and broken things of London end up . . . and ...
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The iron wheel began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The room grew darker. As the light lessened, so did the sound. Deeba and Zanna stared at each other in wonder. The noise of the cars and vans and motorbikes outside grew tinny . . . The wheel turned off all the cars and turned off all the lamps. It was turning off London. Zanna and Deeba are two girls leading ordinary lives, until they stumble into the world of UnLondon, an urban Wonderland where all the lost and broken things of London end up . . . and some of its lost and broken people too. Here discarded umbrellas stalk with spidery menace, carnivorous giraffes roam the streets, and a jungle sprawls beyond the door of an ordinary house. UnLondon is under siege by the sinister Smog and its stink-junkie slaves; it is a city awaiting its hero. Guided by a magic book that can't quite get its facts straight, and pursued by Hemi the half-ghost boy, the girls set out to stop the poisonous cloud before it burns everything in its path. They are joined in their quest by a motley band of UnLondon locals, including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas, Obaday Fing, a couturier whose head is an enormous pincushion, and an empty milk carton called Curdle . . . and you thought a trip down the rabbit hole was a little out of the ordinary. The world of UnLondon is populated by astonishing frights and delights that will thrill the imagination.
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Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $16.98, good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2007 by Macmillan Childrens Books.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $29.95, like new condition, Sold by Bookworks rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Macmillan.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $30.00, very good condition, Sold by Ziebarth Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Coal Valley, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Macmillan.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. Book First edition, first printing, hardcover. Black cloth with green titles on spine. Decorated endpapers. 521 pages. Very good with head/tail of spine bumped and pages tanned, in a very good dust jacket with edgewear at spine and corners, including 1/4" tear with crease to bottom edge at spine. Mylar cover on jacket.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $39.90, new condition, Sold by sellerfromthewest rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hayward, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Macmillan.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $41.61, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Macmillan.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $120.00, like new condition, Sold by Kathmandu Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Winter Park, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Macmillan.
A viciously brilliant take on the accepted tropes of Children's Fantasy and Heroic Fiction, which nevertheless stands on its own as magnificent Bedtime Story fare that won't bore the adult.
Being the Chosen One is all well and good, but the world is never that simple. Miéville's contempt for "Destiny" and "Fate" is as evident as his love for the City.
cadyem
May 28, 2009
visually brilliant with surprising depth
This is a wonderfully imagined "parallel universe" older child/young adult story, perfectly paced with short chapters for reading aloud at bedtime to younger kids but has plenty for the older child and adults as well. I don't want to try to summarize the plot because you can find that elsewhere, but I do want to say that there is plenty to keep you thinking about the issues, settings, characters and interactions in this book. Unlike Mieville's other works, this has a bouncy whimsy where ninja garbage cans and sentient umbrellas abound and the plucky heroine brings things to a satisfying conclusion. While not an epic like The Golden Compass, it still has some serious things to say underneath the manic action and cinematic visuals. Would make a great movie.