Published in 1979 in Germany as Die unendliche Geschichte, The Neverending Story presents a classic premise of finding one's self engulfed in a story. A trope that is very popular in children's and young adult literature to this day. For who doesn't dream and wish to find themselves within a beloved book? Bastian Balthazar Bux is one such lost little boy whose mother has died and father has retreated despair and mourning for his dead wife. Bullied and doing poorly in school, Bastian, too, is completely miserable.
Enter the mysterious bookstore.
Or not so mysterious, as the name is posted right on the door that Bastian flings himself through in an attempt to hide from bullies on his way to school. The curmudgeonly owner, Carl Conrad Coreander (see what Ende did there? Clever author...), grumbles and grouses at Bastian, who is undeterred by this grumpy adult. Then Bastian does what many of us would never dream of: he steals a book. A very special book. One Coreander warns Bastian not to read because Bastian is just an child and far too young for such a book as The Neverending Story.
Ha. Just goes to show what some adult knows about children and their reading proclivities. *wink wink*
The ensuing adventure is told in alternating chapters between Bastian's story and the story of Atreyu, who must save the so-called imaginary world of Fantastica. In one of the original US editions the chapters are differentiated with two colors: red and green. Halfway through reading, Bastian finds himself literally drawn into the book and he also must save Fantastica. But of course, he does what we all would likely do when pulled into an amazing book and given tons of power - he loses his head completely.The Neverending Story was made into three movies in the '80s and '90s, the first of which I remember vaguely watching as a very small girl. It was only as a teenager that I realized one of my favorite childhood movies actually started as a book. I skipped gleefully to the library soon after and have since reread The Neverending Story almost every year. I've heard many a rumor that a new theatrical interpretation of this lovely book is in the works. I can only hope it does justice to this amazing tome that Michael Ende drew out of his imagination.
To entice you further into the spell that is The Neverending Story, I leave you, dear reader, with this quote. Hopefully it inspires you to pick up a copy of this amazing children's novel reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and the Inkheart trilogy.
“Bastian looked at the book.
'I wonder,' he said to himself, 'what's in a book while it's closed. Oh, I know it's full of letters printed on paper, but all the same, something must be happening, because as soon as I open it, there's a whole story with people I don't know yet and all kinds of adventures, deeds and battles. And sometimes there are storms at sea, or it takes you to strange cities and countries. All those things are somehow shut in a book. Of course you have to read it to find out. But it's already there, that's the funny thing. I just wish I knew how it could be.'
Suddenly an almost festive mood came over him.
He settled himself down, picked up the book, opened it to the first page, and began to read...”
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