Yes, because the professor is detached from his description of Hugo. One imagines that he can recite the story but has no firsthand knowledge of the young protagonist. I was pleased to discover the boy and man inhabited the same body in the end.

I was surprised because I thought another person was telling the story.
At some point in the book I thought it was Etienne.

It's been a couple of years since I first read Hugo so if I was completely honest I'm going to have to say - yes - pleasantly surprised. I remember skimming over the introduction as I was captivated by the format of the book and it wasn't until a month or so ago when I first "listened" to Hugo and "heard" the narrator say he was Professor H Alcofrisbas that I realized we had been given a whole lot of information about the story by including that initial.

Great start DITHOT - I've had a copy of Hugo sitting on my shelf since I first heard a whisper here at the zone that it had been purchased and perhaps might make it to screen I was hoping it would be a ONBC choice.

IngridN, that is interesting that Etienne crossed your mind as the narrator. I always thought it was just an omniscient third person point of view. For those of you that were surprised, who did you think might be the narrator?

Good catch, lizbet! I didn't pick up on the first initial at all. Glad you are pleased with the selection. We need an "easy" one now and then!

I'm with you, DITHOT. I just thought third person omniscient, but the revelation didn't really surprise me.

Lizbet, isn't it funny what you pick up when listening that you might miss while reading? I heard Keith Donohue reading from "Angels of Destruction" a couple of months ago and a bit of foreshadowing (that I had missed when I'd read the book) nearly made me laugh out loud. I complimented the author on it after the reading and he feigned ignorance, (which made me think I'd overanalyzed) but then he laughed and confirmed it had been deliberate.

I wasn't surprised, because I immediately cruised the net for information...I love that one of the passengers in A Trip to the Moon was named Alcofrisbas, as, of course, was the Magician in another of Melies' films.

Oh, dear. I was afraid of that. I need to re-read the book!

Oh my - I missed the clue - so yes, I was surprized. I thought the story was being told by a third party - but missed the H. Alcofrisbas connection altogether!!!!

nebraska and ladylinn, the clue many of us missed is on the very first page, "A Brief Introduction", and the reveal is in the last Chapter 12, "Winding It Up".

Buster, it looks like Mr. Selznick did his homework too!

I embarrassed to admit that I never really thought much about it. I totally forgot about any Professor Alcofrisbas while reading the story. I just got into the story, not thinking much at all about the narrator.

When I read now I always make a list of characters as their name pops up so I wasn't too surprised trying to figure how he would fit in. Its a habit that you ladies got me started on when someone mentioned in a discussion way back. It also helps me keep characters straight when there are many.