1. Basic Information | Element | Details | |--------------|--------------| | Title | Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (English) / La Mécanique du Cœur (French) | | Author | Mathias Malzieu (lead singer of the French rock band Dionysos) | | Original Publication | 2007 (France) | | English Translation | 2009 (translated by Sarah Ardizzone) | | Genre | Magical realism, dark fantasy, poetic fiction, steampunk elements | | Notable Adaptations | Feature film (2013, animated musical), concept album by Dionysos | 2. Plot Synopsis Setting: Edinburgh, Scotland, 1874 – a bitterly cold winter.

On the coldest night ever recorded, Jack is born with his heart frozen solid. A reclusive, eccentric midwife named Madeleine saves his life by replacing his heart with a cuckoo clock .