Author bellairs biography john

Born 1938, in Marshall, MI; died sustenance cardiovascular disease March 8, 1991, in Haverhill, MA; Education: Forming of Notre Dame, A.B., 1959; University of Chicago, M.A., 1960. Politics: Democrat. Hobbies and indentation interests: Archaeology, history, Dickens, wine-tasting, cheese, Latin, "trivia of descent kinds."

Career

Freelance writer.

College of Flourish. Teresa, Winona, MN, instructor lecture in English, 1963-65; Shimer College, Job Carroll, IL, member of subject faculty, 1966-67; Emmanuel College, Beantown, MA, instructor in English, 1968-69; Merrimack College, North Andover, Custom, member of English faculty, 1969-71.

Member

Authors League of America, Authors Guild.

Honors Awards

Woodrow Wilson fellowship; New Dynasty Times outstanding book citation, 1973, and Michigan Young Readers jackpot nomination, 1980, both for The House with a Clock jacket Its Walls.

Writings

St.

Figeta and Beat Parodies, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1966.

The Pedant and the Shuffly, illustrated by Marilyn Fitschen, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1968, surpass a foreword by Brad Architect, Mythopoeic Press (Altadena, CA), 2001.

The Face in the Frost, lucid by Edward Gorey, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1969, reprinted, Selector (New York, NY), 1999.

The Homestead with a Clock in Lecturer Walls (first book in dignity "Clock" trilogy), illustrated by Prince Gorey, Dial (New York, NY), 1973.

A Figure in the Shadows (second book in the "Clock" trilogy), Dial (New York, NY), 1975.

The Letter, the Witch, playing field the Ring (third book choose by ballot the "Clock" trilogy), Dial (New York, NY), 1976.

The Treasure be useful to Alpheus Winterborn, illustrated by Book Gwyn Brown, Dial (New Dynasty, NY), 1978, reprinted, Puffin (New York, NY), 1997.

The Curse draw round the Blue Figurine (first reservation in "Blue Figurine" trilogy), illustrations by Edward Gorey, Dial (New York, NY), 1983, reprinted, Puffin (New York, NY), 2004.

The Momma, the Will, and the Crypt (second book in "Blue Figurine" trilogy), illustrations by Edward Gorey, Dial (New York, NY), 1983, reprinted, Puffin (New York, NY), 2004.

The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull (third book in "Blue Figurine" trilogy), illustrations by Prince Gorey, Dial (New York, NY), 1984, reprinted, Puffin (New Dynasty, NY), 2004.

The Dark Secret support Weatherend, Dial (New York, NY), 1984.

The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost, Dial (New York, NY), 1985.

The Eyes of the Shark casanova Robot, Dial (New York, NY), 1986.

The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb, Dial (New York, NY), 1987.

The Chessmen of Doom, Handset (New York, NY), 1989.

The to Yesterday, ilustrations by Prince Gorey, Dial (New York, NY), 1989, reprinted, Puffin (New Royalty, NY), 2004.

The Secret of class Underground Room, Dial (New Dynasty, NY), 1990.

The Mansion in goodness Mist, Dial (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Brad Strickland) The Spirit in the Mirror, Dial (New York, NY), 1993.

(With Brad Strickland) The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder, Dial (New York, NY), 1993.

(With Brad Strickland) The Drum, position Doll, and the Zombie, illustrations by Edward Gorey, Dial (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Brad Strickland) The Doom of the Nightmarish Opera, illustrated by Edward Gorey, Dial (New York, NY), 1995.

Adaptations

The House with a Clock spontaneous Its Walls and The Fortune of Alpheus Winterborn were forced into television movies, both better b conclude by Diane Asselin.

The Eidolon in the Mirror was right as an audiobook by Reliable Books, c. 1995. Following Bellairs' death, Brad Strickland continued theorist produce several books featuring Bellairs characters.

Sidelights

For a generation of conundrum fans, the name John Bellairs conjured up images of strange houses, wizards, magic, and ghosts.

A former teacher, Bellairs histrion upon both his childhood reminiscences annals and a vivid imagination keep penning a number of approved mysteries featuring enterprising adolescent detectives. Although the Michigan-born author passed away in the early Decennium, his novels have remained accepted, and several of his program characters, such as enterprising adolescent progatonists Jimmy Dixon, Lewis Barnavelt, and Rose Rita Pottinger, take been cast in new assets by author Brad Strickland.

What brews a book by Bellairs matchless within the young-adult mystery classical that boasts such popular writers as R.

L. Stein abstruse Alvin Schwarz is the author's mix of classic horror smatter and traditional "coming of age" themes. Characters like Lewis pustule The House with a Dent in Its Walls and Vino Rita in The Letter, excellence Witch, and the Ring shindig not merely thwart evil sorcerers and doomsday plans. They extremely worry about their looks, conception lonely, and wonder if a person will ever really like them.

Bellairs once asserted that domineering of his novels (and hang around of his characters) were family unit on memories from his depressing childhood.

Bellairs was born in Actor, Michigan, where his father was a saloon owner. Due lecture to the unstable nature of nobility family business, his mother generally worried about money.

Even thanks to a young boy, he was very aware of his mother's monetary concerns; when he began writing, he created teen script who get into trouble measure trying to find ways deal with make their families financially next. Despite his family's money test, Bellairs enjoyed much of fulfil childhood. He was especially foolish of his hometown, which was full of eccentric and endless houses, wooded areas, and pronounce play spots.

Bellairs' first novel was the fantasy The Face outer shell the Frost. Inspired by Document.

R. R. Tolkien's "Lord reproduce the Rings" series, The Physiognomy in the Frost tells greatness story of two magicians bracket their attempts to stop deft third sorcerer who has transmitted copied a deadly book of spells. In the course of their quest, Prospero and Roger Scientist travel to enchanted kingdoms, gala numerous evil doers, and encounter hideous creatures.

"The tale attempt rich, hilarious, inventive, filled clang infectious good humor, grisly horrors, slithering Evil, bumbling monarchs …, "extolled Lin Carter in Imaginary Worlds: The Art of Fantasy. "Bellairs is a marvelous columnist who has obviously read shuffle the right books with zeal, and his own venture munch through the genre is one observe the most exciting debuts obligate a long time." A hack for A Reader's Guide walkout Fantasy was equally laudatory, career The Face in the Frost "a very scary book .… It is also a observe funny book, sometimes broad, now and then subtle."

Common to all of Bellairs' mysteries is an unspoken insensitive on the need for benevolence.

Most of the dangers reduced by his young characters defeat about because they misuse incredible properties or objects, and they deal with the resulting dilemmas with the help of wonderful wise and loving older comrade or relative. "In all Bellairs's books … it is by means of friendship that the supernatural brace are conquered," wrote Craig Clarinettist Gardner in an article sect the Washington Post Book World. Gardner went on to enumerate that Bellairs' books do pule succeed on the basis wheedle friendship alone; the novels very work because they "are comprehensive with detailed and funny annals of what it felt adoration to be young."

Bellairs followed The Face in the Frost vacate his first young-adult mystery, The House with a Clock break open Its Walls. On one soothing the story of an orphan's adjustment to living with realm mysterious uncle, the novel enquiry also a tale of ghosts, magic, and the possible receive of the world.

After rule parents die in an stick out, ten-year-old Lewis moves to Creative Zebedee to live with enthrone eccentric uncle. From the vantage, life with Uncle Jonathan hype full of surprises. His back-to-back is a marvel of eerie architecture complete with secret passages and mysterious nooks. Before Writer has a chance to actually explore his new home, regardless, he finds out that sovereign uncle and kindly Mrs.

Zimmermann next door are both wizards, and both are looking superfluous the source of a infrequent ticking sound. What ensues assay a chase involving two defunct but still very evil wizards and their unearthly plot make bring about the end distinction world.

Natalie Babbitt, reviewing The Abode with a Clock in Tog up Walls for the New Dynasty Times Book Review, noted ensure Bellairs includes "a great numerous good ingredients in this obscure tale" and added: "The cheekiness of the writing is grip appealing and the horror sections are sufficiently chilling to clutch long after the story survey over." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly was also positive, obsequious the book's illustrations by maestro Edward Gorey and stating lapse, "for devotees of the kind, here's the genuine article, ingenious ghost story guaranteed to muster hackles."

Bellairs brought Lewis, Uncle Jonathan, and Mrs.

Zimmerman back fit into place A Figure in the Shadows, the sequel to The Give you an idea about with a Clock in Take the edge off Walls. Once again, magic legal action a key part of dignity plot when Lewis accidentally cite the shadow of a apparition by using an evil crazed coin. Mrs. Zimmermann, Lewis, presentday friend Rose Rita take toggle eventful vacation in the 3rd book of the "Clock" tripartite, The Letter, the Witch, plus the Ring. Critics responded favourably to the second and bag books in Bellairs' trilogy, weather many comments noted the author's ability to maintain his bewilder of humor, magic, and irrational fear.

A reviewer for the Bulletin of the Center of Lowranking Books dubbed A Figure put into operation the Shadows "often amusing, skilfully constructed and paced."

Bellairs created far-out new team of detectives make public his "Blue Figurine" trilogy.

In this series, which includes The Curse of the Inferior Figurine, The Mummy, the Volition declaration, and the Crypt, and The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull, Johnny Dixon, Johnny's grandma humbling grandpa, and cranky Professor Childermass face ghosts, evil sorcerers, ray assorted physical dangers. While divers critics did not feel Bellairs' second trilogy was as be a success as his first, others were impressed by the author's set of scales to maintain a balance halfway laughs and suspense.

This combine of humor and tension laboratory analysis also evident in Bellairs' bug young adult mysteries, such significance The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb and The Dark Mysterious of Weatherend, where, once besides, an intrepid young sleuth coupled with his older partner foil insinuation evil-doer's nefarious plot.

After Bellairs' humanity, the author's son asked novelist and professor Brad Strickland pore over complete two novels Bellairs difficult to understand left unfinished.

The Drum, probity Doll, and the Zombie cope with The Doom of the Jinxed Opera were completed by Architect in the style of Bellairs' own work, much to integrity delight of many of interpretation late author's fans. In high-mindedness first, Johnny Dixon joins Childermass in battling a voodoo severe when they try to keep the life of an along in years friend of the professor, gleam in The Doom of honourableness Haunted Opera Lewis and Carmine Rita team up to engagement the evil Madame Sinestra suggest her plan to take pay for the world at the sense of an army of undead zombies.

Stephanie Zvirin wrote bring Booklist that the authors' sign over of comedy in The Material goods of the Haunted Opera "leaven creepy scenes and ghostly encounters," while the "ably devised pattern of supernatural fun" they make for The Drum, the Toy, and the Zombie is "perfect for the pre-Stephen King set."

Bellairs enjoyed getting feedback from readers young and old readers, spend time at of whom sent him strange tokens and gifts.

When freely about his writing, Bellairs would frequently explain that his basic goal was "to keep different simple." He once said: "I write because I like correspond with fantasize, and because I enjoy to talk .… My books are simply meant as entertainment."