I found myself immediately taken by Ransom Riggs’ “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” when I stumbled across its book trailer in high school.
The vivid storytelling and extraordinary imagery dispersed throughout were unlike anything I’d ever come across. As an anomalous collection of vintage photography, spooky settings and peculiar stories.
Riggs’ book was a refreshing addition to an industry that had become increasingly occupied by the commonplace, and it came at a time when imaginative readers needed it most.
“Thought technically a children’s book, Miss Peregrine is more Grimm’s than Disney, and Riggs’ images, dropped like breadcrumbs, could lead audiences of any age happily down the path of its spellbinding tale,” the Florida Times-Union said in its review, and the Library Journal called it “an original work that defies categorization.”
I could not agree more. Anyone who reads Miss Peregrine tends to come away with an entirely unique review. Much of the originality in Miss Peregrine can be contributed to the vintage photographs Riggs collected prior to writing it.
“I usually find the ‘what inspired you’ question tough to answer, because my brain is a dark and twisting alley and who knows what goes on in there, but in this case I have a very specific answer: old snapshots,” said Riggs in an interview, referring to the middle section full of glossy vintage photographs in his book.
“Back in 2009, I started collecting old snapshots that I found at swap meets and flea markets, and after a while, it occurred to me that the strange-looking people in the photos I loved most might find their way into a book.”
Riggs showed his pictures to a book editor who convinced him to write a novel that incorporated the pictures.
Famed director Tim Burton hopes to give fans the same experience elicited by Riggs’ photographs with an equally peculiar movie that will give fans the opportunity to indulge further in Riggs’ magnificent fictional world. “I liked Ransom’s approach with the pictures,” Mr. Burton said in a New York Times interview. “It was an interesting kind of way to create a story. It made it feel like a weird old fable.” Riggs’ bizzare storytelling combined with Burton’s cinematic vision is sure to make “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” an exciting release. Look for it in theaters on September 30.
