Een te mooi boek, om snel uit te lezen, nog een keer te beginnen, wauw wat een fantasie! ( )

Endymion Spring is a fast-paced adventure, part mystery, part fantasy set in present-day Oxford with flashbacks to 15th century Germany.

Endymion Spring, the title character, is the mute apprentice to Johannes Gutenberg, living in Mainz, Germany in 1452.The story begins when the mysterious Mr. Fust arrives in the dead of night with an enormous carved chest and money to invest in Gutenberg's printing press. The young boy eventually discovers that the chest is full of strange, enchanted paper, whose words only he can read. He steals a bit of the paper which forms itself into a book, and runs for his life before Fust can discover what he has done.

Fast forward to Oxford, where 12 year old Blake is living with his academic mother and annoying little sister, wishing the whole family was back in America with his father. While waiting for his mother in the Bodleian Library, he comes across a strange blank book and soon discovers that he is surrounded by adults who are searching for the very same volume.

This is an entertaining read for 9-12 year olds. While the supporting characters are a little one-dimensional,and Blake seems to have an unbelievable amount of freedom,the action is fast-paced, and readers can identify with Blake's feelings of not fitting into his world. The flashbacks deliver a bit of history about the printing press while laying the groundwork for the present-day mystery, and the descriptions of the Oxford make it a place anyone would like to explore.

This is author Matthew Skelton's first novel. A native of Edmonton, he earned his doctorate at Oxford and wrote Endymion Spring while looking for work. It generated alot of excitement when it was eventually discovered and published, and its success has allowed Skelton to dedicate himself to writing full-time. His next novel is due for release in March 2010. ( )

I picked this book up in a second hand bookshop. I don't remember seeing it on a display anywhere before, which is odd considering how good it is. This is one of those young adult adventures that could be enjoyed by people older (and indeed, younger) than its intended readership.

Endymion Spring is a mute assistant to the great Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the movable type printing press (although the notes in the book give some additional background to that claim). However Gutenberg goes into business with Johann Fust, who has something more diabolical in mind - and thus causes a chain of events that leads to Oxford. Here there are two American children, Blake and Duck, visiting with their mother who is involved in research of the Faust of literature. When a strange book bites Blake in the library, events unfold that span the centuries and lead to a wonderful, mysterious and sometimes terrifying adventure.

This book is fast paced, with good prose and dialogue and a story that had me hooked more or less from the start. It is a book about books, which is always a good one for hooking avid readers. But it is also a book about a boy who is not so keen on books. Maybe that part of teh story does not quite work - but you do feel that Blake is pretty much your average 12 year old, albeit stuck in an odd academic background that he resents.

I liked the interplay in the family. Duck is the annoying perfect little sister. But she is also Blake's friend, and it becomes clear that they love each other despite their normal sibling rivalries. The adults also are not just piece players in this book, but have their own unfolding story.

But ultimately this book is about the mystery: who was Endymion Spring? And what was his legacy?

This is a book I would be happy to recommend to young adults and adults alike. A satisfyingly spooky read. ( )

Endymion Spring
Report by: Joey D’Addio

For my summer reading I read Endymion Spring. This story has two main settings. One is the Library at Oxford and the other is in Germany during the 1400’s. This is a story that switches from one setting to another and tells two stories at the same time. One story is about a boy named Blake who lives at Oxford with his sister Duck and with his mother who is trying to do some research. The other story is about an apprentice who holds a dark secret that contains forbidden knowledge.
Blake is at the Oxford Library when he finds a book with blank pages, at least the pages are blank to most people, but Blake sees words that only he can see and he has a terrible feeling that this book is alive somehow. Blake is half right. There is another story in this book about a boy like Blake. The boy’s name is Endymon Spring.
Endymion was a printer’s apprentice, who discovers, and steals, a dragon hide that creates indestructible paper. This paper is made into a book by Endymion so he can steal it from Fust, a man who sold his soul to the devil for all of the knowledge in the universe. Hundreds of years later the book that Endymion made is found by Blake in the Oxford Library. Blake turns to Professor Jolyon, who used to teach his mother, for help. The Professor belongs to the Ex Libris Society, a group whose goal in life is to collect and preserve old volumes.
This society has a traitor in their midst. A person in shadow is among the few people Blake can trust. The Librarian at Oxford, named Diana Bentley is that person. She wants all of the knowledge that Fust wanted and she will do any thing to get it. Blake must protect the book, even if it means death. Blake drops the book off a roof and it is never discovered, by anyone else. Blake finds the book later and he is the only one who can have the knowledge of Endymion Spring.
The one thing I loved about this book was that the story had some historical background. The character Jonathan Fust was Johnn Fuast a sorcerer who sold his soul to the devil and John Fust, a cruel businessman. This combination created an interesting character. The one thing that could have changed was the details about Endymion Spring. I wish I could have learned more on his background. Every book has things that could have been improved upon.
Endymion Spring was a fascinating book. Some parts I liked and other parts could have been improved upon. If I had to read this piece of literature over again I would, because there is always a cliffhanger that will want the reader to know more of the story. I would like this book to have a sequel, because the ending seemed to have a cliffhanger. I would highly recommend this book to any one who enjoys adventure stories.

This was rather disappointing. Parallel stories about the making of a truly unique book in Mainz in the 1400s I believe and a young boy in Oxford in the present day. The stories connect through the extraordinary book known as "Endymion Spring." I love books about books, especially ones with a bit of mystery but this was really just a let-down. I didn't find anything about it particularly interesting and it wasn't compelling either. I'm also a little annoyed by the overly cutesy nicknames in kids books and I especially don't appreciate the notion that once a kid's life is in danger, his previously splintered family will once again be whole. It doesn't always work that way! It wasn't totally terrible but I just expected more. ( )

Endymion Spring is a young man working for Johann Gutenberg in Germany in 1492 when he is inventing his printing press. Johann Fust came to visit and in his possession he had a book - a magic book. The pages were made of dragon skin and it contained secret knowledge of past, present,and future. Endymion Spring opens the book and takes a few of the magic pages.

600 years later, Blake Winters finds these pages in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. He can read the riddles contained in the book, but to others, including his sister, Duck, the pages are blank. Blake learns that there is another book - The Last Book and the two parts must be joined. He and his sister decide they must find the Lost Book and return the lost pages, but others in the library world are also searching for the book. The book tells Blake that there is a Person in Shadow who will try to kill him to get the pages. Is it Professor Jolyon Fall, the book expert; Sir Giles Bentley, the book collector; Psalmanazer, the homeless man; or Diana Bentley, Sir Gile's wife. Some of these characters seem to be helping Blake and Duck but can they be trusted?

Great mystery! Both boys and girls would like it. Flashbacks are well marked. ( )

Blake vindt een magisch boek in een stoffige bibliotheek. Hij is de enige die erin kan lezen, maar is niet de enige die het wil hebben. Vanaf ca. 11 jaar. ( )

Intriguing, and a fun, fast-paced read that kept my attention. There is an undeniable appeal of a story that spans so much time and a secret that is so huge. And this book almost works! (As a librarian, I didn't like the librarian as babysitter setup from the second page, and the "mole-like" librarians who fetch books from underground storage.) The two kids are kind of annoying.

And without spoiling it, what are we supposed to learn from the ending? The Frodo comparison to Blake, the main character, is inevitable, but what would Frodo have done? I don't know how exactly this book should have ended, but not like it does. ( )

Endymion Spring is first and foremost a book about a book. It follows two concurrent stories, one about the creation of a book hundreds of years ago, and the other a modern day mystery surrounding the location of the book. From a graphic designer's viewpoint, the book is visually well constructed, as each chapter deals with one or the other time period, and the pages of each chapter reflect a different look and feel; the change is subtle and you don't even realize that it is happening until about half way through the book, which I felt was a very clever technique.

The 2 stories themselves aren't much, but when you start to realize how one story is affecting the other, and they begin to weave together, you are left with a well constructed story that has a nice, tidy ending. This book follows a popular trend today, where actual historical facts are looked at from the new point of view of the author, and some adjustments are made to create an entirely new story. In this case, some unexplained mysteries concerning Gutenberg, and some legends concerning Fust/Faust are intermingled into the story to help create the mystery of the book. Sometimes, other authors do not handle these plot points very well, seeming more to force the connections to make the story move along, but Skelton uses them deftly in his plot, not forcing them on the reader, but keeping them more as the mystery/legend that they are to help the mystique of his story. Overall, a well crafted, neatly written book and an exceptional debut novel for Matthew Skelton. ( )

This cleverly constructed book tells two parallel stories that come together unexpectedly at the end. One storyline is set in the present and one hundreds of years ago at the time when the printing press was a new technology. The use of a different look for the pages for each storyline makes it easy to keep track. The mystery is gripping and I enjoyed the exploration of the power of words ( )

It's an interesting read but somehow it just isn't enough, it could be a great book but it ends up only being a good book. The best part of the story is the typography and the way the older story in Mainz and the newer story in Oxford is treated.

Readable but nothing great, unfortunately. I would read more by this author in the hope that the author would improve with time. ( )

THis book had so much hype when it was released. And I was dissappointed in the end.

From a library review: In 1452, a young printers devil toils for his master, Herr Gutenberg, who is in the process of printing a Bible. On a suitably dark and cold night, sinister Johann Fust arrives at Gutenbergs shop with a mysterious wooden chest decorated with dragons and serpents heads. In a parallel story set at Saint James College in Oxford in the present day, Blake, a professors son, discovers a wordless book with the title Endymion Spring, which was the printers devils name. The narrative goes back and forth connecting the stories as they go. Very good idea and I was all for it.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't very intrigued by the "book", and I enjoyed the medieval back story more than I did main contemporary times story. The boy Blake was just to whiney and his sister was just too much of a pain in the butt. I just found them to be flat characters - they didn't hold my interest. ( )

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It is an engaging story and very smart. I'm glad Skelton didn't underestimate the young adult audience; this is the kind of story I'd normally expect for an older audience. ( )

The last book chooses who its reader will be. It has chosen Blake Winters, son of a visiting scholar at Oxford. The book has chosen, but others want it for its special powers. What will they do to obtain it? ( )

Disapointing to find a book with so much potential which lives up to that potential so poorly. Many inventive, fascinating ideas, but Skelton just isn't a good enough writer to bring his ideas to the page very well. Had Philip Pullman written the same story it could have been a classic. ( )

This book switches back and forth from Mainz, Germany in the 1400s to present day Oxford, England. The printer's devil (assistant) to Johannes Gutenberg discovers a magical book that writes itself and needs him to read it. It belongs to the evil benefactor Johann Fust. He leaves Germany to hide the book at Oxford. In alternating chapters we learn about a 12 year-old American boy,Blake, who with his young sister, Duck, finds the book (or rather the book finds him) and has to keep it out of a mysterious enemy's hands. I listened to the audio version read by Richard Easton and it was quite good. ( )

Story of an American boy at Oxford who discovers a magic book that somehow contains all knowledge. Also tells the tale of the original boy (Mr. Spring himself) who was there when the magic book created itself out of dragon skin. It was okay but sort of dumb. ( )

Who is Endymion Spring? Switching between a boy in 1453 helping Gutenberg with his printing press and Blake, an American in Oxford who discovers an uncommon book, this book with lead readers on an amazing journey through friends, family, a dragon, and mysteries galore.

Every now and then I glance at a list of fiction titles for kids and young adults hoping to pluck out something interesting. That’s how I ended up reading Matthew Skelton’s Endymion Spring during a few rainy evenings last week.

The premise was intriguing. Skelton ran two stories in parallel: one in 15th century Germany involving a young apprentice to Johann Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press; the other following two modern-day adolescents visiting Oxford while their mother researches some scholarly topic. The two stories relate, of course. Blake, the boy in the modern half, and his sister Duck (Yep. Her name is Duck.) stumble upon a mysterious blank book (named Endymion Spring) on the dusty shelves of the library. Its magical qualities and curiously strong attraction stirs up a commotion among the excessively bookish characters on campus.

As the kids scramble to solve the riddle at Oxford, the young German apprentice in other other narrative lives out the book’s origin 450 years earlier. The apprentice (also named Endymion Spring) learns about a magical dragon-skin paper and undertakes a mission to keep it from his master’s chief investor, the evil Johann Fust. Fust, incidentally, was a real person. He put up the money for Gutenberg’s printing press but later sued the inventor for the equipment and any possible profits.

Skelton’s writing is sometimes wonderful. His descriptions of Oxford, the dusty old bookshelves of the Bodleian Library, and the medieval town of Mainz are vivid. I especially enjoyed the jumbled chase scene where young Endymion attempts to escape from Fust during a crowded town festival.

As enjoyable as most of the book was, it seemed to fall flat at the end. Maybe that was just me. I’m ‘Mostly NF’ after all. The book has been popular. There might be enough magic and mystery in the book to carry young adults to the finish.

[More of my reviews are available at http://mostlynf.wordpress.com]

The book flashes back and forth between modern-day Oxford and fifteenth century Germany. Readers get to meet Endymion Spring, a boy who discovers Faust's secret of dragon-skin paper that has magical properties and has the power to allow readers to read every book ever written. Readers also get to know Blake, an American boy whose mother is studying in Oxford. Blake is left at some of the top libraries in Oxford to amuse himself along with his younger sister Duck. One day, he discovers a strange book bound in brown leather that at first appears to be blank. It is this book of Endymion Spring that will lead him on a wild adventure around Oxford.

This book is fascinating from the historical details of Endymion's life to the glory of the hidden side of the Oxford libraries. It is a novel for those of us who love books, who are often taken away by the mysteries we find inside and the wonder of what could be found there. The characters are well-rounded and complex as are their relationships with those around them. The adults around the characters are flawed and complicated people themselves. Once the reader is captured by the mystery of both the modern story and the historical one, the book is nearly impossible to put down. The climax is both stunning and gratifying.

Offer this one to both children and adults to read. Just make sure they love books. This one is a winner. ( )

This is Matthew Skelton's debut novel, in case you didn't catch the three times it's mentioned in the book and on the jacket. Skelton writes a mystery about two boys in two different time periods, each telling their part, concerning a book and Oxford. Although, the book is titled Endymion, the real main character is Oxford. This book is about books, the love of books, how books and printing began and what people will do to obtain books. Endymion is an enjoyable, much in the vein of Jasper Fforde and Cornelia Funke. ( )