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Title: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, Ralph Manheim, Roswitha Quadflieg ISBN: 0-14-038633-5 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: December, 1996 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 (188 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: "But That's Another Story..."
Comment: "The Neverending Story" is probably best known to the general public through Wolfgang Peterson's movie, whereas the original novel by Michael Ende is less well known. Despite the horrid sequels and the even worse television series that Michael Ende desperately tried to prevent in the last years of his life, Wolfgang Peterson's first attempt at bringing the book to the big screen was successful and popular. However, fans of the book will know that it only records the first part of the story - though Peterson compensates by telling us in the final segment of the film "Bastian had many more adventures before finally returning to the ordinary world. But that's another story..."
Since it's likely that you've seen the movie but not read the book, I highly recommend that you track down the original story - the movie stands on its own, but the book takes Bastian on a deeper and more dangerous journey into Fantastica and the inner regions of the soul, both adding detail into the movie's progression, and continuing into a larger and more fascinating adventure. Usually I always suggest reading books before watching any movies that they are based on, but in the case of "The Neverending Story" I make an exception - it is much better to scratch the surface of Ende's imagination in Peterson's very good interpretation of the book's first half, and then immerse yourself in the deeper book-within-a-book that Ende wrote, filled with adventure, intrigue, possibilities, mystery, thought-provoking ideas, beloved characters and probing into the depths of the human psyche.
Bastian Balthazar Bux is a rather tubby, unpopular victim of bullying at the school, with a deceased mother and a grieving father. His one consolation in life is books, his absolute passion. This love of stories and the magic they bring is the reason why he runs off with "The Neverending Story", the large volume he finds in Mr Coreander's old book store. Hiding himself in the attic of his school, he is soon intoxicated by the story that unfolds: a young warrior named Atreyu is chosen to seek out a cure for the deathly ill Child-like Empress, the ruler of the realm of Fantastica. In a quest filled with danger, and joined by the joyful luck-dragon Falkor, Atreyu must also avoid the growing threat of the mysterious "Nothing" - a force that is slowly eating up his world. What the Nothing truly is, what the elusive cure for the Empress is, as well as the nature of Fantastica and Bastian's role to play in its fate are mysteries gradually unfolded as he finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into the story. As it progresses, he finds himself wondering - could this particular story be *real*?
"The Neverending Story" is a work of true children's literature, and anyone who loves books for their own sakes and appreciates the importance of imagination is sure to find this a favourite. It is filled to the brim with memorable characters - Falkor, Atreyu, Engywook, Grograman, Yikka, and my personal favourite, the sinister, elusive Gmork, and touches on some of the most primitive questions of the human mind: life and death, hope and despair, existence and oblivion, the corruption of power, the basic needs of humanity...I could go on. In terms of sheer imagination and stark visual beauty, Ende rides to the top of the list along with Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Phillip Pullman and other authors of this calibre.
If there is one issue that brings fault, it is that the original manuscript was written in German - therefore the rhyming verses that are prevalant in the text feel rather disjointed, with the translator struggling to convey the content of the German version (which would have been more fluid and rhythmic) whilst forcing rhyme into the English.
But this is irrelevant in the bigger picture, for this is a must read, just as Peterson's film is a must-watch. It is nothing less than a tragedy that money-hungry producers were allowed to exploit Ende's book into the appallingly bad sequels and series, and I do my best to pretend that they don't exist. But here, fans of Peterson's movie, or those that have never heard of "The Neverending Story" before, will be well rewarded if they read Ende's book - the width and length that your imagination will expand after reading makes it well worth the effort.
Rating: 4
Summary: An extraordinary book changes Bastian Balthazar Bux's life
Comment: Bastian Balthazar Bux's life is not faring too good. There are many bullies at his school, who usually pick on him,he is fat and tubby and his father hasn't spoken to him ever since his mother's death. One day when Bastian passes a bookshop something makes him enter. When he enters he finds Mr.Coreandar, the shopkeeper reading a book. Bastian is mesmerized by the book's cover the minute his eyes are laid on it. Knowing that the book probably costs good money, Bastian picks up the book and runs out of the store. He then goes to his schoolhouse and goes to the attic where no one else ever goes. He begins to read the book ( The Neverending Story) and then is sent into the book as a hero. Bastian loves the country (Fantastica) and doesn't want to leave. People find him as the savior of their land for saving the childlike empress and also have no intention of forcing him to leave. During the book Bastian meets many friends like, Falkor, the luckdragon, and Artreyu, the hero who brings Bastian to Fantastica. This is a great read, but you will have to pay a lot of attention to the book because there are many, many, characters in the book. At times the book has it's tedious points, but I finished this book knowing that it was a 4 star book.
Rating: 3
Summary: The Neverending Story
Comment: The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende, is a wonderful departure from the ordinary, and a classic childhood fantasy story, with imaginary creatures, and a child's utopia turned to a dystopia. This story brings you into the world of Bastian Balthazar Bux, a below-average student, with an above-average weight, and few friends. He encounters a crotchety old book seller, and finds himself stealing a book right from under his nose.
The book is The Neverending Story, about a seeming wonderland, a story of stories, but this wonderland has a problem. It is being eaten away by nothing, and only one person can stop it. Bastian feels himself getting sucked into the story, literally feeling everything the characters did, and hearing them, and finding that they hear him, also. Soon he is entirely in Fantastica, and you, the reader, follow him through his adventures there.
I found this book to be very exciting, and although it seems childish, it is interesting, and has you believing in fantasies once again. I love some action and mystery in novels, and although this is not your typical action or mystery story, it does involve some mystery, and much action and suspense. It is a fascinating twist on the existence of magic and fantasy creatures, and what happens to a story once it is read.
The only complaint I have about this novel is the lack of maturity. The novel is a sweet one, and brings back old fantasies, but it lacks a sense of maturity, which to me is a little frustrating. I got easily frustrated near the end of the novel, when Bastian is having a hard time, but is portrayed much less like what I believe anyone can quite relate to. Also, the story got a little tedious at times, when the action simmered some, and nothing was really happening. After getting through those sections, though, the book more than made up for it with action-packed segments.
I would suggest The Neverending Story for anyone who wants an adventure, a fairy tale, and much fun throughout the story. This book is charming, and I really enjoyed it. You will definitely enjoy the silly antics of a child's imagination, and the adventures of a child learning the value of friends and family as I did. I would definitely say it's a book worth remembering.
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Title: The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure (The 'Good Parts' Version) by William Goldman ISBN: 034543014X Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 17 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, Mel Grant ISBN: 0451450523 Publisher: New American Library Pub. Date: October, 1994 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title:The NeverEnding Story ASIN: B00005LKHZ Publisher: Warner Studios Pub. Date: 03 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $14.97 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $11.23 |
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Title: Momo by Michael Ende, J. Maxwell Brownjohn ISBN: 0140079165 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: April, 1988 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
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Title:The NeverEnding Story II - The Next Chapter ASIN: B00005LKI0 Publisher: Warner Studios Pub. Date: 03 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $9.97 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $9.97 |
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