Momo - by Michael Ende

Read this book*. What ever you have to do to find it, read this book. Everyone who told you that it was one of their favorite books from childhood meant it.

Much like The Neverending Story, Momo is social commentary told in a fantasy set fable (is that redundant?). Where NE gives importance to imagination, Momo cherishes the time you have while you are here, not "saving" it so you can spend more and more time at work and less and less time with your family and taking pleasure in life. Intense simplification, but it's a fable.

The storytelling is beautiful. I found myself trying to explain to Jeremy what was the difference in my mind between a good writer and a good storyteller. Good writing captures you, pulls you along and makes you care, but it takes work and patience for the author to craft this. Good stroytelling to me just flows. It seems as if the author would be able to give a story whether he was sitting in front of you speaking off the cuff, or laboring over a keypad. Michael Ende strikes me as the latter. It seems as if I could just sit down in front of him and the most amazing thimgs would then be created. But that's just me.

The inside back book jacket cover says "...Mr. Ende has become a veritable publishing legend." Where the hell are the rest of his books Hmmmm!? Why have only TWO been translated and published here?!

*I'm not linking it. It's out of print and all the versions of it I can find pictures of are seriously ugly. I got it out of my library, and it's a very nice copy and harkens back to the original (german?) title The Grey Gentlemen. Go to your library. The screen commands you!