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Artemis Fowl (book)
Encyclopedia
Artemis Fowl is a young-adult fantasy novel
written by Irish
author Eoin Colfer
. It is the first book in the Artemis Fowl series
, being followed by Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
. Described by its author as "Die Hard
with fairies", it follows the adventures of its 12-year-old title character
, a criminal mastermind, as he kidnaps a fairy for a large ransom of gold.
Throughout the book, the third-person narration switches repeatedly from following the human characters to following the fairy characters and presents underlying themes of greed and conflict. The book received a mostly favourable critical response, and several awards.
A film adaptation was reported to be in the writing stage in mid-2008, with Jim Sheridan
directing.
, the title character, is the twelve-year-old son of an Irish
crime lord, Artemis Fowl I
. After significant research, Artemis believes that he has confirmed the existence of fairies and decides to kidnap one. He tracks down an alcoholic sprite posing as a healer in Ho Chi Minh City
, Vietnam
, and travels there with his bodyguard Butler
to obtain from her The Book of the People—the Fairy holy book that is written in Gnommish
.
Meanwhile, Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police is tracking a rogue troll
that has managed to reach the surface of the Earth from the fairy city, deep underground. Assisted by a technically minded centaur
called Foaly
and LEPrecon
commander Julius Root
, she incapacitates the troll. However, this uses the last of her magic, and Commander Root demands that she complete the magic restoring ritual.
Artemis decodes the Book using computerized translating software, and in the process, learns the specifics of the ritual: taking an acorn from an ancient oak tree near a bend in a river under the full moon and planting it elsewhere. Artemis and Butler track down over 100 possible locations for the ritual and start a stakeout
; after nearly four months, they discover Holly performing the ritual. Butler tranquilises Holly with a hypodermic syringe.
A LEP retrieval team is sent to scout Fowl Manor. Using their 'shielding' ability, which allows them to vibrate faster than the human eye can follow, the team enters the manor grounds. Artemis anticipated this also, however, and installed a camera with a high frames-per-second rate, allowing him to detect the threat by freezing the image. After Butler incapacitates the intruders, Root decides to lay siege to Fowl Manor using a time-stop and enter negotiations. The ransom demand is revealed as one ton of 24-carat gold. Artemis uses the opportunity to reveal his knowledge of the time-stop and claims that he can escape it. An analysis by LEP behaviour experts determines that Artemis is telling the truth, or thinks he is.
The attempts to gain entry to the manor continue as an infamous criminal, the kleptomaniac dwarf Mulch Diggums
, is recruited to break in. Fairies are forbidden from entering human dwellings without permission, but Mulch has already broken this rule and is immune to the adverse consequences. He tunnels underground to reach the house while Foaly feeds a loop to the manor surveillance system, allowing Mulch to freely explore. Mulch locates a safe containing a copy of the Book, finally revealing to the fairies the source of Artemis' knowledge. The Fairy Council, deciding that nothing is working, promote a lieutenant called Briar Cudgeon to Acting Commander, temporarily usurping Julius Root. Meanwhile Holly Short cracks through the concrete of her cell using her bed and completes the ritual with a smuggled acorn. Having regained her magic, she escapes into the main house.
Cudgeon decides to release the troll Holly captured earlier into the mansion, in order to force Artemis to give permission for the Fairies to enter and subdue the troll. Holly and Artemis find themselves fighting the troll together. This backfires, as Butler and Holly are able to repel the troll. Cudgeon is subsequently stripped of his post.
Artemis is finally granted the ransom. The gold is sent in, and Artemis asks Holly for a wish: he wants her to cure his mother's insanity — she has been living in her bedroom, driven mad by the loss of her husband. Holly grants the wish at the cost of half the gold. The LEP decides to send in a 'blue rinse' - a biological bomb that kills all organic life — to eliminate Artemis and allow for the retrieval of the gold, but this fails when Artemis escapes the time-stop by drugging himself and his comrades with sleeping pills
. At the end, Artemis finds his mother has fully recovered from her insanity thanks to Holly's magic.
Greed is the first main theme that is introduced into the book, and specifically the desire to obtain gold. In a similar manner to other themes in the book, it changes throughout, becoming less of a focus near to the end of the novel, where Artemis is willing to part with a large sum of money to help someone else.
The idea of conflict between good and evil isn't as prevalent as greed, but still very important. Although Artemis sees himself as an evil genius at the beginning of the book, and it is indeed this image that is portrayed, the end of the story brings this idea into doubt as well when he pays to help his mother. The fairies would take the good side in this view, but this can also be questioned—they are as determined as Artemis to achieve their goals and while only some of them were willing to ruthlessly deploy a troll, regardless of the possible danger to life, all are willing to utilise a bio-bomb once Holly is out of the mansion to force Artemis into submission.
which can be deciphered using sections of the book's text displayed in Gnommish, together with their English translations. A complete Gnommish cipher key can be found in The Artemis Fowl Files
.
and Garden State Teen Book Award, among other awards.
The New York Post
said "Artemis Fowl is great ... a new thriller fairy tale that will grab your interest, no matter your age." and the Library Journal said "Fun to read, full of action and humour, this is recommended for all public libraries and to readers of all ages."
The Amazon.com
official review highly complimented the book, saying "Fantastic stuff from beginning to end, Artemis Fowl is a rip-roaring, 21st century romp of the highest order." and the book was also generally well received by the public, with an average score of 4/5 from Amazon users.
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...
written by Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
author Eoin Colfer
Eoin Colfer
Eoin Colfer is an Irish author. He is most famous as the author of the Artemis Fowl series, but he has also written other successful books. His novels have been compared to the works of J. K. Rowling...
. It is the first book in the Artemis Fowl series
Artemis Fowl (series)
Artemis Fowl is a series of fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer and all the books are best sellers, starring the teenage criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II. The author summed up the series as: "Die Hard with fairies." There are seven novels in the series; the first was published in...
, being followed by Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident is the second book in the Artemis Fowl series written by Irish author Eoin Colfer. It follows the story of Opal Koboi's rising alongside the rescue of the abducted Artemis Fowl I, Artemis Fowl II's father...
. Described by its author as "Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
with fairies", it follows the adventures of its 12-year-old title character
Artemis Fowl II
Artemis Fowl II is the antihero and main character of the fictional series Artemis Fowl by the Irish author Eoin Colfer.- Origins :Colfer has said that he based Artemis on his younger brother Donal, who as a child was "a mischievous mastermind who could get out of any trouble he got into"...
, a criminal mastermind, as he kidnaps a fairy for a large ransom of gold.
Throughout the book, the third-person narration switches repeatedly from following the human characters to following the fairy characters and presents underlying themes of greed and conflict. The book received a mostly favourable critical response, and several awards.
A film adaptation was reported to be in the writing stage in mid-2008, with Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan is an Irish film director. A six-time Academy Award nominee, Sheridan is perhaps best known for his films My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Get Rich or Die Tryin and In America.-Life and career:...
directing.
Synopsis
Artemis Fowl IIArtemis Fowl II
Artemis Fowl II is the antihero and main character of the fictional series Artemis Fowl by the Irish author Eoin Colfer.- Origins :Colfer has said that he based Artemis on his younger brother Donal, who as a child was "a mischievous mastermind who could get out of any trouble he got into"...
, the title character, is the twelve-year-old son of an Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
crime lord, Artemis Fowl I
Artemis Fowl I
Artemis Fowl I is a fictional character in the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. He is the husband of Angeline Fowl, and the father of the main character, Artemis Fowl II...
. After significant research, Artemis believes that he has confirmed the existence of fairies and decides to kidnap one. He tracks down an alcoholic sprite posing as a healer in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, and travels there with his bodyguard Butler
Domovoi Butler
Domovoi Butler is a fictional character in the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. Known for his skill and strength, he is the bodyguard and mentor of the main character of the series, .-Role:...
to obtain from her The Book of the People—the Fairy holy book that is written in Gnommish
Gnommish
Gnommish is the "fairy language" used in the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. It is not actually a language at all, but the English language encoded into a letter-substitution cipher where each symbol represents a letter. Lines of translatable Gnommish run along the bottoms of books one, two,...
.
Meanwhile, Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police is tracking a rogue troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
that has managed to reach the surface of the Earth from the fairy city, deep underground. Assisted by a technically minded centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
called Foaly
Foaly
Foaly is a fictional character in the Artemis Fowl series written by Eoin Colfer. He is the technical consultant to the Lower Elements Police...
and LEPrecon
Leprecon
LepreCon is an annual science fiction convention with an emphasis on art held in and around Phoenix, Arizona usually in May around Mother's Day weekend. It is the second oldest science fiction convention in Arizona. It is sponsored by Leprecon, Inc., an Arizona non-profit corporation...
commander Julius Root
Julius Root
Julius Root is a fictional character from the Artemis Fowl series of children's books written by Irish author Eoin Colfer.- Personality :Julius Root was the commander of the reconnaissance division of the Lower Elements Police. Root was frequently angry, and when angry, he became extremely...
, she incapacitates the troll. However, this uses the last of her magic, and Commander Root demands that she complete the magic restoring ritual.
Artemis decodes the Book using computerized translating software, and in the process, learns the specifics of the ritual: taking an acorn from an ancient oak tree near a bend in a river under the full moon and planting it elsewhere. Artemis and Butler track down over 100 possible locations for the ritual and start a stakeout
Stakeout
Stakeout is a 1987 film directed by John Badham and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Madeleine Stowe, Aidan Quinn, and Forest Whitaker...
; after nearly four months, they discover Holly performing the ritual. Butler tranquilises Holly with a hypodermic syringe.
A LEP retrieval team is sent to scout Fowl Manor. Using their 'shielding' ability, which allows them to vibrate faster than the human eye can follow, the team enters the manor grounds. Artemis anticipated this also, however, and installed a camera with a high frames-per-second rate, allowing him to detect the threat by freezing the image. After Butler incapacitates the intruders, Root decides to lay siege to Fowl Manor using a time-stop and enter negotiations. The ransom demand is revealed as one ton of 24-carat gold. Artemis uses the opportunity to reveal his knowledge of the time-stop and claims that he can escape it. An analysis by LEP behaviour experts determines that Artemis is telling the truth, or thinks he is.
The attempts to gain entry to the manor continue as an infamous criminal, the kleptomaniac dwarf Mulch Diggums
Mulch Diggums
Mulch Diggums is a fictional kleptomaniac dwarf from the Artemis Fowl series by Irish fiction author Eoin Colfer.He has been arrested numerous times by the LEP due to his criminal nature; stealing from Mud Men is his speciality. An expert burglar, he is also infamous for his powerful and deadly...
, is recruited to break in. Fairies are forbidden from entering human dwellings without permission, but Mulch has already broken this rule and is immune to the adverse consequences. He tunnels underground to reach the house while Foaly feeds a loop to the manor surveillance system, allowing Mulch to freely explore. Mulch locates a safe containing a copy of the Book, finally revealing to the fairies the source of Artemis' knowledge. The Fairy Council, deciding that nothing is working, promote a lieutenant called Briar Cudgeon to Acting Commander, temporarily usurping Julius Root. Meanwhile Holly Short cracks through the concrete of her cell using her bed and completes the ritual with a smuggled acorn. Having regained her magic, she escapes into the main house.
Cudgeon decides to release the troll Holly captured earlier into the mansion, in order to force Artemis to give permission for the Fairies to enter and subdue the troll. Holly and Artemis find themselves fighting the troll together. This backfires, as Butler and Holly are able to repel the troll. Cudgeon is subsequently stripped of his post.
Artemis is finally granted the ransom. The gold is sent in, and Artemis asks Holly for a wish: he wants her to cure his mother's insanity — she has been living in her bedroom, driven mad by the loss of her husband. Holly grants the wish at the cost of half the gold. The LEP decides to send in a 'blue rinse' - a biological bomb that kills all organic life — to eliminate Artemis and allow for the retrieval of the gold, but this fails when Artemis escapes the time-stop by drugging himself and his comrades with sleeping pills
Sedative
A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
. At the end, Artemis finds his mother has fully recovered from her insanity thanks to Holly's magic.
Major characters
- Artemis Fowl IIArtemis Fowl IIArtemis Fowl II is the antihero and main character of the fictional series Artemis Fowl by the Irish author Eoin Colfer.- Origins :Colfer has said that he based Artemis on his younger brother Donal, who as a child was "a mischievous mastermind who could get out of any trouble he got into"...
– The protagonist; a 12-year-old genius, he uses his intelligence to break the law in order to obtain wealth; this stems down from his family, who have been criminals for generations. While he seems cold and distant, even from his close friend Domovoi Butler, at the beginning of the book, his character develops throughout, and he shows remorse, guilt, and passion for his family at the end. - ButlerDomovoi ButlerDomovoi Butler is a fictional character in the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. Known for his skill and strength, he is the bodyguard and mentor of the main character of the series, .-Role:...
– The Fowl's manservant and Artemis' bodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
, but also Artemis' friend and accomplice. Throughout the book, his first name is not revealed; this is possibly to prevent over-familiarity between bodyguard and client, and is referred to only as "Butler." - Captain Holly Short – A determined, forthright elf and the first female member of LEPrecon. Compassionate and caring, she goes as far as healing Butler from fatal wounds sustained fighting a troll, despite the fact that he has been integral in the plan to hold her hostage—this act goes some way to changing both Artemis' and Butler's views on fairies.
- Commander Julius RootJulius RootJulius Root is a fictional character from the Artemis Fowl series of children's books written by Irish author Eoin Colfer.- Personality :Julius Root was the commander of the reconnaissance division of the Lower Elements Police. Root was frequently angry, and when angry, he became extremely...
– Known as 'Beetroot' by fellow fairies for his characteristic red face, he is Holly Short's superior officer. A father figureFather Figure"Father Figure" is the U.S. number-one song written and performed by George Michael and released on Columbia Records in 1988 as the third single from the album Faith.-History:...
to the other fairies, and specifically Holly, he appears truly distressed at her disappearance, as shown with his conversation with Artemis in the whaling ship, 'If you've harmed one tip of my officer's pointy ears...'. - FoalyFoalyFoaly is a fictional character in the Artemis Fowl series written by Eoin Colfer. He is the technical consultant to the Lower Elements Police...
– The LEP's technical advisor. Portrayed as brilliant, but highly sarcastic, he is described as 'having few friends'. The time-stop used in the siege of Fowl Manor was his invention, and he provides numerous high-tech gadgets to the other characters. - Mulch DiggumsMulch DiggumsMulch Diggums is a fictional kleptomaniac dwarf from the Artemis Fowl series by Irish fiction author Eoin Colfer.He has been arrested numerous times by the LEP due to his criminal nature; stealing from Mud Men is his speciality. An expert burglar, he is also infamous for his powerful and deadly...
– A criminal dwarf who is recruited by the LEP to gain access to Fowl Manor during the siege. Having already entered other dwellings without permission, he is unaffected by the effects suffered by the other fairies.
Themes
Artemis Fowl has a number of underlying themes, but the most essential of these are greed and the conflict between good and evil.Greed is the first main theme that is introduced into the book, and specifically the desire to obtain gold. In a similar manner to other themes in the book, it changes throughout, becoming less of a focus near to the end of the novel, where Artemis is willing to part with a large sum of money to help someone else.
The idea of conflict between good and evil isn't as prevalent as greed, but still very important. Although Artemis sees himself as an evil genius at the beginning of the book, and it is indeed this image that is portrayed, the end of the story brings this idea into doubt as well when he pays to help his mother. The fairies would take the good side in this view, but this can also be questioned—they are as determined as Artemis to achieve their goals and while only some of them were willing to ruthlessly deploy a troll, regardless of the possible danger to life, all are willing to utilise a bio-bomb once Holly is out of the mansion to force Artemis into submission.
Code
A string of Gnommish symbols appears at the bottom of each page. They comprise a substitution cipherSubstitution cipher
In cryptography, a substitution cipher is a method of encryption by which units of plaintext are replaced with ciphertext according to a regular system; the "units" may be single letters , pairs of letters, triplets of letters, mixtures of the above, and so forth...
which can be deciphered using sections of the book's text displayed in Gnommish, together with their English translations. A complete Gnommish cipher key can be found in The Artemis Fowl Files
The Artemis Fowl Files
The Artemis Fowl Files is a companion book to the Artemis Fowl series written by Eoin Colfer.It contains two short stories, one about Captain Holly Short joining LEPrecon, and the second about Mulch Diggums and Artemis Fowl working together to steal a tiara...
.
Critical reception
In general, the book received a very positive critical response — in 2004 it received the Young Reader's Choice AwardYoung Reader's Choice Award
The Young Reader's Choice Award is an annual book award chosen by students from the Pacific Northwest. It is run by the Pacific Northwest Library Association, and was established in 1940, making it the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada....
and Garden State Teen Book Award, among other awards.
The New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
said "Artemis Fowl is great ... a new thriller fairy tale that will grab your interest, no matter your age." and the Library Journal said "Fun to read, full of action and humour, this is recommended for all public libraries and to readers of all ages."
The Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
official review highly complimented the book, saying "Fantastic stuff from beginning to end, Artemis Fowl is a rip-roaring, 21st century romp of the highest order." and the book was also generally well received by the public, with an average score of 4/5 from Amazon users.
External links
- Official Site
- The Artemis Fowl Wiki at WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...
(for detailed information)