Inkheart

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**Title** **Inkheart**
Inkheart book cover
Author	Cornelia Funke
Original title	Tintenherz
Country	Germany
Language	German
Genre(s)	Fantasy, High Fantasy
Publisher	Chickenhouse
Released
Media type	Hardcover
Followed by	Inkspell

Inkheart (original title: Tintenherz) is a young adult-child fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke about a girl named Meggie whose life changes dramatically when she realizes that her father, a bookbinder named Mortimer (Nicknamed Mo), has an unusual ability: when he reads aloud, he can bring characters from books into the real world. Meggie and Mo's adventure takes them throughout Europe, particularly Italy, and brings them into contact with many unusual characters. The sequel, Inkspell, was released on October 1, 2005. The third book in the trilogy, Inkdawn, previously known as "Inkdeath" is set to be released in 2007 (German) or 2008 (English).

1 Plot summary
2 Characters in "Inkheart"
3 Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
4 External links

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story of Inkheart, there is a story within a story: Mo originally brought four of Inkheart's characters to life (Italy) while reading aloud from a novel which is also called Inkheart - Basta, Capricorn, Dustfinger, and his pet marten, Gwin. Dustfinger, a fire eater, desperately wants to return to the world of the fictional novel; Capricorn, the villain of both the "real" and "imaginary" stories, wants Mo (and later, Meggie, who shares her father's unusual gift) to summon an evil monster, a creature forged from the ashes of the murdered known as the Shadow, from the fictional novel; and Basta is Capricorn's right-hand man.

On more than one level, Inkheart is a book about books and the love of reading. Meggie and Mo are both avid readers; Meggie has carried a box (made by her father) of her favorite books with her all of her life. But also, Inkheart references many other works of literature. In addition to the characters from the fictional novel Inkheart, Mo also brings to life a boy (named Farid) who belongs in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, and makes gold appear from Treasure Island. Meggie's reading causes Tinkerbell from Peter Pan to appear, and she also conjures up the soldier from "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, at the request of the Magpie, Capricorn's mother. Later, at the request of Fenoglio, she also solicits the soldier back.

Fenoglio, the writer of Inkheart, eventually reveals his intentions for asking Meggie to keep the tin soldier. Testing an idea Mo suggested earlier in the novel, he rewrites the original, sad ending of "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," then tells Meggie to read it aloud. The tin soldier returns to the book and has a happy ending. Before Capricorn forces Meggie to read the evil monster out of Inkheart, Meggie invokes the aid of the book's original author to rewrite Inkheart's ending so that the Shadow, instead of helping Capricorn with his evil plans (devouring Resa, Elinor and Basta), will destroy him. This plan succeeds. Meggie reads this new ending aloud, the book's author disappears into his own creation, and Capricorn falls dead.

The Inkworld.

The Inkworld is the name of a fictional world in the book 'Inkheart'. It consists of two major realms, Lombrica, the realm of The Laughing Prince, and Argenta, the realm of the Adderhead. These realms are divide by a central border. The map, provided in the book 'Inkspell', appears to indicate the places of particular relevance to the story; for example, an inn is shown. This inn is named 'The Inn by the Border', and an inn such as this appears to be marked out for the fact that it is a visited location in 'Inkspell'. An Inn is generally not something to be marked out on a map of one entire world, therefore it is safe to assume the reason for this having been shown is its relevance to the story.

Locations in the 'Inkworld':

'The Inn by the Border'. This is an Inn just inside the border of Lombrica.

'Secret Camp'. This is an encampment in central Lombrica.

'The Inn of the Motley Folk'. This is an inn in eastern Lombrica.

'The Wayless Wood'. This is a wood, inhabited by mythical, mystical creatures, in north west Lombrica.

'Roxanne's Farm'. This is a farm, owned by the lover of Dustfinger, Roxanne. It is inhabited by Roxanne and her son, Jehan. This settlement lies in the northeast of Lombrica, and is the furthest point from 'Argenta' on the map.

'Ombra'. This is the capital city of Lombrica, and is in the north, just west of 'Roxanne's Farm'.

'Capricorn's Fortress'. This is a fortress, owned by the infamous group of 'Arsonists' often referred to as 'The fire-raisers'. This group was ruled by Capricorn, until he was read out of his story by Mo, and was replaced by the notorious 'Firefox'. It is just inside the border of 'Argenta'.

'The spelt-mill'. A location in the east of 'Argenta'.

'The Castle of Night'. This is the home of 'the Adderhead', ruler of 'Agenta', and is built upon the aptly named 'Mount Adder'.

'The Infirmary'. This is a location in the south of 'Argenta'.

[edit] Characters in "Inkheart"

Mortimer Folchart (also called Mo and Silvertongue) is a bookbinder who can read characters out of books. One night Mo read from the book Inkheart, bringing to life various of its characters, men named Capricorn, Dustfinger, Basta, and Dustfinger's horned marten, Gwin. Mo would do anything for his daughter, Meggie.

Meggie is Mo's daughter, who later discovers her ability to read out characters from books and the main character in the book.

Capricorn is the evil villain in Inkheart, who is read to life by Mo.

Dustfinger is a fire-eater, who is read to life by Mo. He betrays Meggie to get himself back into his home story, Inkheart, but eventually turns on Capricorn and helps the Folchart family in both this book and its sequel, Inkspell. He is also the owner of a horned marten named Gwin.Later he finds out Gwin will be threatened by a knife and he will try to save Gwin and die in the process. He tries to stop this by getting rid of Gwin and getting a new marten. He names this new marten Jink.

Elinor Loredan is Meggie's great aunt, a bibliophile who later houses Mo and Meggie. When Mo and Meggie appear at her door, she lets them stay there, until they go to Capricorn's village. At the end, Mo, Meggie, and Resa return to live with Elinor.

Teresa (also called Resa) is Mo's wife and Elinor's neice, who was read into Inkheart but later read out by Darius, causing her to lose her voice. She works for Capricorn and Mortola as a maid until Capricorn is destroyed.

Fenoglio is the author of Inkheart. He rewrites the ending so that Capricorn will be killed by the Shadow and the Shadow will let all the people who he killed when he disintegrates come back to life. But Meggie and Elinor discovered that nothing can be brought back from the dead when all the people the Shadow killed disintegrate in Elinor's backyard. Fenoglio vanished into the book when the Shadow came out.

Basta is one of Capricorn's most loyal, chief, and vicious assistants. He is very superstitious and loves his knife. He and Dustfinger are enemies. He gave Dustfinger the scars on his face. (They both fancied the same woman while she liked Dustfinger better.)

Mortola, also called Magpie, is Capricorn's mother and housekeeper. She has a strong disliking for Resa. She is also the reason why Basta was almost fed to the Shadow.

Farid is a boy read out of The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, who becomes a devoted partner to Dustfinger, and falls in love with Meggie.

Gwin is a horned marten that belongs to Dustfinger. In Fenoglio's original novel Inkheart, Dustfinger dies, trying to save Gwin from death.

Darius is a storyteller found by Capricorn. He also has the power to read characters in and out of books. However, he stumbles a lot and the characters come out damaged (such as Resa, who loses her voice, or Flatnose, whose name is pretty self-explanatory).

Flatnose is another of Capricorn's assistants.

Cockerell is yet another of Capricorn's assistants.

The Shadow is the cruelest creature, owned by Capricorn, read out of Inkheart by Meggie. Fenoglio rewrites the story to make the Shadow turn on Capricorn and his men.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier is read out of his story, The Steadfast Tin Soldier (by Hans Christian Andersen), by Meggie.

Tinker Bell is read out of her story, Peter Pan (by J.M. Barrie), by Meggie but later stays behind in Capricorn's village with the other fairies from Inkheart.

[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

A movie based on the book is scheduled to be released sometime in 2008 by New Line Cinema. Brendan Fraser and Paul Bettany were the first to be signed to the film. Bettany will play the role of Dustfinger, a fire-eating performer, and Fraser's playing the father, Mo. Rafi Gavron is set to play Farid, Jim Broadbent will play the part of Fenoglio, Sienna Guillory that of Resa, Helen Mirren is set to play Elinor Loredan, and Andy Serkis has been cast as Capricorn. Meggie will be played by Eliza Bennett. Lesley Sharp playing the role of Mortola and Jamie Foreman as Basta. Iain Softley will direct the film.[1] In September 2006, a musical of the book was produced in Germany under its German title: Tintenherz. It is playing once again in December of that same year.