The Strange

by Ron Base

Book Overview

A troubled 14-year-old boy. A duplicitous witch. A fabled tower. A magical Paris. Welcome to the world of "The Strange," Ron Base's exciting new fantasy-adventure called "hypnotic" by critic George... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 097369551X
• ISBN13: 9780973695519
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: West-End Books
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The Strange is strange but a terrific read

this is a book i would not normally buy nor read but once it was in my hands, i could not put it down! finished reading it in a day which rarely happens. but the author certainly has a unique talent catching the reader of guard and involving you into this most interest story. like i said, i normally do not read read books about witches and magic, but somehow it caught my attention and i highly recommand it as a terrific read. Helga Gerhardt

Magically delivers an unusual blend of fantasy, historical fiction and mystery

The Strange has all of the elements of a great read: interesting and well-developed characters, action, adventure and loads of surprises. The vivid exploration of turn of the century Paris was a delight. The central plot revolves around the age old art of "the con" and slight of hand with a new twist. This novel magically delivers an unusual blend of fantasy, historical fiction and mystery that shouldn't be missed!

Magic and mischief in Ron Base's 'The Strange'

Few writers know Hollywood better than Ron Base. As a reporter, film critic, magazine writer, screenwriter and novelist, he has explored the magic of the movies in many ways. But Base knows his history too and his new novel, "The Strange," published by West End Books, combines the mystery and marvel of grand cinematic adventures with a taste for the glamour and mystique of 19th century Vienna, London and most especially Paris. Like the best storytellers, Base in "The Strange" leads you to somewhere you thought you knew, in this case Paris, and reveals it to be even more magical and enchanting than you could possibly have imagined. It's a tale of cunning and deception with intrigue, high adventure and vivid characters including a future King of England and the man who built the Eiffel Tower with a plot as tasty and satisfying as dinner at the Ritz. His tale is of a 14-year-old Parisian orphan named Ned who has the strange gift of kinetic powers. Lost and alone, he becomes ensnared in the machinations of a fascinating woman named Mrs. Nevermore, who has mysterious powers of her own along with a penchant for larceny on a big scale. Base takes time to draw a colourful ensemble of weird and wonderful characters as he slowly reveals a gambit by Mrs. Nevermore that involves an attempt to sell the Eiffel Tower to England's Prince of Wales. There is much mischief and mayhem along the way leading to an explosive and highly entertaining climax. As he showed in his splendid Hollywood novel "Magic Man," Base has the considerable gift of writing about magical things with a childlike sense of wonder. It's a great relief from the forced hardboiled approach of many popular authors and makes "The Strange," as intelligent and eldritch as it is, an appealing read for all ages.