The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly: A review
Maybe my mind is in there too...
I began reading this book at the beginning of 2024, January, and I finished it on the April of 2025, but it’s really not as bad as that timeframe makes it sound. It was a Christmas gift from my mother, who I assume was not aware that it was in fact a sequel to the book The Book of Lost Things. Fortunately, that didn’t interrupt my understanding of the events that took place, only of what the story was in the first place. I was, as they say, going in blind.
The first couple of chapters, which were each pretty short throughout, were a little slow – this was necessary. It was an introduction to our protagonist, Ceres, and her situation which was looking very dim at that point. Her daughter was in a coma after a car accident, which brings her to Buckinghamshire for more treatment that promised at the very least, comfort. There was a clear tone established: dark and dreary. Much like overcast weather or a bright night.
And then books began to speak and there was an evil face made from ivy.
‘Wow, what a random and interesting dream sequence.’ I thought. Nope. Suddenly Ceres is running through a tree, reverting to her teenage body, meeting a chill river spirit and a cool as heck Woodsman and dealing with a whole bunch of fairy tale and fae bullshit (I say with love). It’s all very Alice in Wonderland-y.
Even among the wackiness though there is so much depth John Connolly has given to all of the fictional fictional characters. Fictional squared?
Each resident of ‘Elsewhere’ has their role to play in the world of stories and that’s apparent, but it’s almost like they have a subconscious awareness of this fact that leads to many a reflective comment on events. There’s twists on classic fairy tales and their tropes, as well as a lot of characters who believe they’re right while their enemies believe the same of themselves.
If I were to be entirely apathetic…(oh boy)… I’d say Ceres is living the dream. When things go disastrously wrong who wouldn’t want to just fall into a world where fiction is reality and you can meet giants and water spirits and fight evil creatures to save the world. But then Ceres may just be a little more introspective than I. She’s a strong female protagonist who always has a relevant and insightful thought to think about any particular struggle, be it moral, physical or mental. Amplified by the fact that she’s not a perfect person herself. She doesn’t always know the correct thing to say or the right thing to do, she doesn’t just know whether people are good or bad. She can be slow to trust and tempted to take the easy options. She’s, quite frankly, human. And a well depicted human at that.
The middle chunk was enticing as this was where the fantastical elements were introduced. They were here, there and everywhere. My only gripe is how fast paced it was, we essentially get one encounter per chapter, which average around 5-8 pages or so. I just want more time to sit with some of the creatures and characters they meet.
For the most part the ending of the book felt like a comfortable conclusion. Simple and predictable aren’t inherently bad, which is a fact The Land of Lost Things’ final chapters prove. To be fair, it set up a lot that had to be set back down, and a couple of those threads had elements to it that weren’t bluntly foreseeable but remained incredibly satisfying. Plus, it seems fitting that the story that blindsided me about its whole premise ends on a note like that. I expected the unexpected and failed to expect the expected.
Now, time to read its predecessor…
You can find these images and other literary works by John Connolly here: