| Author | Matthew Skelton |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
| Publication date | 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 448 pgs. |
Endymion Spring is a fantasy novel by Canadian author Matthew Skelton.
Contents |
Origins and publishing history
At some point during the drafting of his Ph.D., the character that would later become Blake simply appeared to Skelton, trapped in a library and begging for help. Over the next three years, Skelton worked to finish his Doctoral Thesis. Upon its completion, he moved to Mainz -- the setting for the first half of one of his story lines -- and began writing the novel. Originally, the book was only Blake's story, and did not include the second story line about Gutenberg and his apprentice, Endymion Spring. Matthew Skelton was pushed to complete the second half of the story by a friend who had reportedly asked him who Endymion Spring was. Endymion Spring was published in the United Kingdom in 2006. It is currently sold in the United States, and has been released ahead of schedule.
Plot summary
Endymion Spring has a double storyline. The first story follows two children in current day Oxford, Blake and Duck. Blake is twelve years old and his sister is a few years younger. The two happen to come across a strange book in a library in Oxford, which is entitled Endymion Spring. After finding out that it leads to a book of all the knowledge in the world, all the knowledge Adam and Eve tried to obtain from eating of that forbidden tree of knowledge but lost, they then embark on a quest to find it. However, when they do, the story then becomes a battle against the Person in Shadow, a person whose heart has turned black with evil and desire for the knowledge and power of the book. The second story line follows the journey of a young printer’s devil who works in Gutenberg’s workshop named Endymion Spring from his hometown in Mainz, Germany to Oxford, which was then a settlement of monks. The two story lines are about 600 years apart, with Spring's story taking place at the epoch of the printing press in 1453, and Blake's taking place in the late 20th or early 21st century.
Major themes
There are several themes throughout Endymion Spring. The first and foremost resonates throughout the book in the words "Bring only the insight the inside brings." These words appear to communicate a theme regarding knowledge, and how it should be used.
Characters
Blake Winters―a preteen male who is the protagonist of the modern story line. He finds the book which is later revealed as Endymion Spring and is ultimately the one that catapults the story into existence. Duck Winters―Blake's sister. Although her true name is not known, she is referred to as Duck throughout the book. She is portrayed as a precocious character, and often shelters from her insecurities regarding herself by showing off her intelligence to professors at Oxford, most of which are very impressed with her knowledge of literature. Endymion Spring―similar to Blake, Endymion is a preteen male who is the protagonist of the 1400s storyline. He is Johann Gutenberg's apprentice and is a "printer's devil."(a term which refers to a printer's apprentice, when printing was considered a Black Art) His name comes from Greek myth about the Greek shepherd boy named Endymion. Johann Gutenberg―Endymion Spring's master. He is known in the book as Herr Gutenberg by both Peter and Endymion. Johann Fust/Faust―the same character. As a general rule, the name Faust is used in the modern storyline and the name Fust is used in the 1400s storyline. Peter Schoeffer―Fust's apprentice and chosen son-in-law, and the one who thought of the plan for Endymion Spring to escape to Oxford. Mephistopheles―the librarian's cat, and is often sneaking into the library and causing trouble. The cat's name does not seem to hold any significance in the book, although a character that shares its name is found in pact With the Devil, the book which Faust came from. this cat was not made up from the authors point of view when he was writing this story.
Trivia
- According to an interview with Skelton by Scholastic, most of the riddles in the book came to him once he was asleep.
- Duck, according to the same interview, is actually based on his childhood self. Skelton is dressed similarly to the description of Duck's dress in a childhood photo.
- Warner Brothers currently hold rights to an Endymion Spring film.[1]
External links
- Random House Endymion website
- Warner Brothers Endymion website
- Matthew Skelton's Official Blog Page †The childhood photo of Skelton can be seen here
- Scholastic Interview of Matthew Skelton
Notes
- ^ CHILDREN'S AUTHORS, Felicity Bryan Literary Agency
