Thursday, February 24, 2011

The 13 and Half Lives Of Captain Bluebear

Quick!
Stop. Get this book. If you have children read it to them. If you don't have children, adopt. Really it's that good.

This is the story of the first half of the 27 lives of Captain Bluebear in the amazing words and seas of Zamonia. A wonderous place where Atlantis is just a suburb. Our hero starts life small, literally smaller than a nut. Rescued from a whirlpool by Minipirates he starts a life (or lives) of adventure. Each life is in a different environment and he learns different things. For example, he learns how to cry while living with the hobgoblins who crave negative emotions, and he learns how to speak while stranded on the high seas by babbling waves.

This is all written in an incredible manner. Reminding the reader of the Hitchhiker's guide it is very much it's own fantastic beast. It revels in playing with words and being delightfully silly.

Originally written in German in 1999, the character of Captain Bluebear is something a culture icon in germany being a character in both a movie and a tv show. Walter Moers has truly created a fascinating world and character!
Don't take my word though, read it!


2 comments:

  1. Read it! It is an interesting read through the various phases of his first adventures...

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