Where did the character Mrs. Zimmerman come from? John Bellairs was influenced by a real-life Mrs. Zimmerman so much that he decided to create an unforgettable character about her for his Lewis Barnavelt series. We all know Mrs. Zimmerman in the book had no family – her husband has died and she didn’t have any Read more…
Then Lewis very surprisingly said that he wasn’t going trick-or-treating, claiming that he was too mature for it. Mrs. Zimmermann then asked if he was going to join them for cider and doughnuts because if he wasn’t she was going to “show up at midnight at the foot of your bed in my role of Grinning Griselda, the resuscitated cadaver.”
History’s impact on John Bellairs The House with a Clock in its Walls is a novel full of compelling historical references taken from the mind of author John Bellairs. The novel includes details of the murder of David Rizzio: this man was the private secretary of Mary Queen of Scots. A young Italian courtier, he Read more…
John Bellairs and Edward Gorey: a Winning Combination The cover of the gripping The Ghost in the Mirror by John Bellairs features a massive rock, strewn with snow, so high that Rose Rita could be taken for a cold-looking doll at the bottom. The illustration, by the famous and taste-making Edward Gorey (1925-2000) transports the Read more…
The Clocks of The House with a Clock in its Walls Clocks are seemingly mundane objects, and always seem to seamlessly blend into the background of every setting. But what happens when we start paying attention? The endless variations of brands, structures, and histories of clocks can be very telling. In The House With a Read more…
