“The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear”
by
Walter Moers
Germany has never been particularly famed for its imagination and its fantasy, especially when it comes to literature. But this well-established prejudice has recently received a major blow: with the publishing of The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear in English, the international community is finally given access to a truly fascinating and captivating literary masterpiece.
An initial bit of advice: do not dismiss it for a children’s book – nothing could do it less justice, and it is intentionally written for all ages. The description and the illustration of half of the Bluebear’s lives (he does have 27 overall, but the latter half is none of the reader’s business) is a most absurd and brilliant accumulation of fantastic stories, weird life forms and abnormal occurrences. Or in which other way could the reader do with minipirates, babbling waves, the rescue dinosaur Mac, bollogs or sugarstorms?
A very special character in the successive stories leading the Bluebear through many parts of Zamonia and beyond is Professor Abdullah Nightingale. In his Nocturnal Academy, he teaches a kaleidoscope of disciplines, and in order not to forget it he leaves the Bluebear with a mental copy of his Encyclopedia about everything there needs to be known. Much to the delight of the reader who is continuously given background information of the most absurd kind in an utterly charming way.
Most certainly, the comments made until now cause nothing more than pure confusion amongst any potential reader – which is in a way intended. Only those familiar with the book’s content and its loveable wittiness of writing are able to understand. But this is no bad intention, The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear simply cannot be described in a few words, nor can the charming character be gotten across without actually holding the book in hands.
And if that would not be enough as a motivator, there is an additional asset worth mentioning: the edition comes with more than 100 black & white illustrations by Walter Moers, providing the individual fantasy with some more food for thought.
I can personally say that it is one of my all-time favourite books, worthwhile every minute of reading, and I will certainly continue to be a lifetime fan of the Bluebear.
Andreas Hauser
An initial bit of advice: do not dismiss it for a children’s book – nothing could do it less justice, and it is intentionally written for all ages. The description and the illustration of half of the Bluebear’s lives (he does have 27 overall, but the latter half is none of the reader’s business) is a most absurd and brilliant accumulation of fantastic stories, weird life forms and abnormal occurrences. Or in which other way could the reader do with minipirates, babbling waves, the rescue dinosaur Mac, bollogs or sugarstorms?
A very special character in the successive stories leading the Bluebear through many parts of Zamonia and beyond is Professor Abdullah Nightingale. In his Nocturnal Academy, he teaches a kaleidoscope of disciplines, and in order not to forget it he leaves the Bluebear with a mental copy of his Encyclopedia about everything there needs to be known. Much to the delight of the reader who is continuously given background information of the most absurd kind in an utterly charming way.
Most certainly, the comments made until now cause nothing more than pure confusion amongst any potential reader – which is in a way intended. Only those familiar with the book’s content and its loveable wittiness of writing are able to understand. But this is no bad intention, The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear simply cannot be described in a few words, nor can the charming character be gotten across without actually holding the book in hands.
And if that would not be enough as a motivator, there is an additional asset worth mentioning: the edition comes with more than 100 black & white illustrations by Walter Moers, providing the individual fantasy with some more food for thought.
I can personally say that it is one of my all-time favourite books, worthwhile every minute of reading, and I will certainly continue to be a lifetime fan of the Bluebear.
Walter Moers
“The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear” in English,
ISBN 1585678449
“Die 13 ½ Leben des Käpt’n Blaubär” in Deutsch,
ISBN 344245381X
“The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear” in English,
ISBN 1585678449
“Die 13 ½ Leben des Käpt’n Blaubär” in Deutsch,
ISBN 344245381X
Andreas Hauser
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