I confess to opening this book expecting some schlock, Frankenstein ripoff. And while any story about man creating life - albeit mechanical life in this case - owes some debt to Shelley's classic, THE CLOCKWORK MAN is a remarkably original tale. Filled with pathos, insight and intrigue, I was surprised to find myself unable to put the book down, and devoured it in one late night session.

THE CLOCKWORK MAN is written ostensibly as the journal of Ernst, an entirely mechanical man created by a master clockmaker towards the end of the 19th century. It is divided into roughly two parts, the first corresponding to his "youth" in Germany, where he becomes part of his maker's family. The latter half is in present day Milwaukee, where Ernst finds himself after nearly a century of inactivation. To describe the story in much detail will spoil the fun, but almost misses the point. The real joy of the book is in the characters.

Ernst is a fully realized narrator, both profoundly human and distinctly alien in nature at the same time. It's a delicate trick to pull off, and I'm frankly mystified as to how the author managed it. The other characters are delightfully human as well, from his master's family to the homeless vagrants he befriends in the alleys of Milwaukee. The author also does a masterful job constructing the world around Ernst - our world, but with Ernst's existence making it's mark, and the events of the world marking Ernst in return. The only weakness I can name is that the forward is both superfluous and so poorly realized that I almost failed to turn the page. Luckily for me, I persevered, and was richly rewarded for it. Skip the forward, or save it for the end, and you'll find yourself much happier.

In all, this was a delightful book - part fable, part morality play, part character study. I can find few ways better to endorse a book other than to say that once you start, don't plan on putting it down. I hereby put this book in the "don't make any plans," category.