The City of Dreaming Books (Zamonien, #4)

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The City of Dreaming Books (Zamonien #4)

by Walter Moers, John Brownjohn (Translator)

4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 · rating details · 4,983 ratings · 552 reviews

Overlook has published three of Walter Moers's hilarious and beloved Zamonia books and The City of Dreaming Books, a fantastic tale for every book lover, is his most popular yet. Optimus Yanspinner inherits from his godfather an unpublished manuscript by an unknown writer and sets off to track down the mysterious author, who disappeared into Bookholm--the so-called City of...more

Hardcover, 464 pages

Published September 6th 2007 by Overlook Hardcover (first published September 9th 2004)

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Aug 27, 2007 Bazpazazz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: EVERYONE

what an amazing novel! ridiculous, irreverant, hilarious, philisophical, snuggly, informative, and many other ives that are positive. i don't want to spoil it, as if anyone could, for folks, so i'll just say this; a three foot tall dinosaur travels to said city in possession of a manuscript, and in search of its author, and manages to re-write the history of Zamonian literature. and foil a nefarious scheme.
GO FORTH AND READ THIS WONDERFUL NOVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, wishlist-print, stars5, favorites

The City of Dreaming Books by German author Walter Moers is one of my all time favorite books. Since the original is written in German, and my German knowledge is minimal, I read the Dutch translation. I tried to look up all the names from the English translation, so everything should be clear, but translations in different languages can always be confusing.

The Story

The City of Dreaming Books tells the tale of Optimus Yarnspinner, an aspiring writer, who inherits his godfather’s possessions and...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Nereia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Un avvertimento
Questa è una storia su un luogo in cui leggere è ancora un'avventura. Qui si parla di un luogo dove, a leggere, si rischia d'impazzire. Dove i libri possono ferire, avvelenare e perfino uccidere. Solo chi, pur di leggere, sia veramente disposto a correre simili rischi, solo chi sia pronto a giocarsi la pelle pur di conoscere la mia storia, mi segua e volti pagina.
Ildefonso de' Sventramitis.

Trip o Bad Trip?

Qualcuno categorizza questo libro come una lettura adatta ai bambini di 10 a...more Un avvertimento
Questa è una storia su un luogo in cui leggere è ancora un'avventura. Qui si parla di un luogo dove, a leggere, si rischia d'impazzire. Dove i libri possono ferire, avvelenare e perfino uccidere. Solo chi, pur di leggere, sia veramente disposto a correre simili rischi, solo chi sia pronto a giocarsi la pelle pur di conoscere la mia storia, mi segua e volti pagina.
Ildefonso de' Sventramitis.

Trip o Bad Trip?

Qualcuno categorizza questo libro come una lettura adatta ai bambini di 10 anni. La prima cosa, però, che ho imparato tenendo - ben stretto!- questo libro tra le mani è che non bisogna mai (e dico mai!) credere a ciò che si divertono a scrivere sulla quarta di copertina. Mai, come in questo caso, chi ha scritto la quarta di copertina poteva essere più in torto!
La città dei libri sognanti, infatti, decisamente non è rivolto ai ragazzi, bensì si tratta di un libro che chiunque abbia una forte - ma che dico?- fortissima, passione per la lettura deve assolutamente leggere!
Come se le pagine fossero intrise di una sostanza allucinogena che si insinua dentro il nostro organismo attraverso il tatto ci ritroviamo a vivere un trip, teletrasportati nel bel mezzo delle strade di Librandia, una ridente cittadina situata nel continente di Zamonia, circondati dagli strani e buffi esseri che la popolano.
Librandia è la città nella quale chiunque abbia la passione per la letteratura, sia perché si tratti di uno scrittore o aspirante tale, sia che si tratti solo di un umile lettore accanito, vorrebbe vivere.
Tutto - ma veramente tutto! - è fatto di libri o, in una qualche maniera, li riguarda. Librandia è come il Paese dei Balocchi per Pinocchio, come la ghianda d'oro per Scrat, come la Fabbrica di Cioccolato per Charlie... Librandia è la Diagon Alley dei libri! Chi non pagherebbe per poter, almeno una volta nella vita, visitare un posto incredibile situato in un continente ancor più incredibile? Ildelfonso de' Sventramitis e il suo padrino letterario Danzelot lo Spaccasillabe, due sauri di Forte Vermicchio (un monte che si erge nella Zamonia occidentale) ci offrono questa fantastica opportunità.
Sapientemente e con una prosa fluida e accurata, Walter Moers ci prende per mano e ci accompagna in un viaggio allucinante e allucinogeno, onirico e surreale, fantastico e fantasmagorico. Ma è giusto quel detto che recita: "non è tutto oro quel che luccica!" E, infatti, Ildelfonso, all'inizio del romanzo, fa bene ad avvertire il lettore perché, in men che non si dica, il viaggio si trasforma in un'entusiasmante ma "orrorifica" avventura. E' proprio quando giungiamo nelle profondità di Librandia che l'atmosfera assume tinte dark e la nostra avventura da "trip" finisce, invece, con il trasformarsi irrimediabilmente in un "bad trip".
Per le vie oscure delle catacombe incontreremo esseri viventi di tutti i tipi, di diverse misure e fattezze e ci imbatteremo nei libri viventi, nei libri sognanti, in quelli giganti e persino in quelli perigliosi.
Ma fate attenzione a quel che attira la vostra curiosità e badate bene a ciò che leggete, a causa di alcuni di questi libri potreste addirittura rimanere uccisi!
Una storia da leggere con calma e attenzione poiché Moers non risparmia sul numero di parole neppure quando si tratta di descrivere gli ambienti; queste, infatti, appaiono spesso così dettagliate da offrire al lettore immagini talmente nitide da far perdere la cognizione del tempo e dello spazio.
Menzione a parte meritano le illustrazioni che "decorano" il volume. Ebbene sì, avete letto proprio bene: ho utilizzato il verbo "decorare" perché i disegni di Moers non sono normali disegni volti semplicemente a illustrare le creature descritte dall'autore, bensì sono delle bellissime opere d'arte, di una precisione e una spettacolarità uniche che rendono il libro ancora più prezioso.

Recensione presente anche sul mio blog: http://www.librangoloacuto.blogspot.c...(less)

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Dec 17, 2011 Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy

"Where shadows dim with shadows mate in caverns deep and dark, where old books dream of bygone days when they were wood and bark, where diamonds from coal are born and no birds ever sing, the region is the dread domain ruled by the Shadow King."

This book was a complete impulse buy. I read the back and loved the idea of it. I mean sheesh, the books are ALIVE and the setting is a world created where books are the one and only important thing in life. You are a reader, a writer, or a publisher. A b...more "Where shadows dim with shadows mate in caverns deep and dark, where old books dream of bygone days when they were wood and bark, where diamonds from coal are born and no birds ever sing, the region is the dread domain ruled by the Shadow King."

This book was a complete impulse buy. I read the back and loved the idea of it. I mean sheesh, the books are ALIVE and the setting is a world created where books are the one and only important thing in life. You are a reader, a writer, or a publisher. A book seller or illustrator. There's dangerous books in the catacombs of this city too. They attack. They are real mean, yo.

Optimus Yarnspinner (haha, everytime I say Optimus in my head I immediately go retro to my 80's love and want to end it with Prime)...but I digress. Optimus (for short) has just lost his mentor and godfather. The last gift given was an unpublished manuscript. Optimus reads it and is blown away with how beautiful it is written, in fact, he claims it is the best piece of literature that he has ever read. Unfortunately, the manuscript is written anonymously. Optimus decides his mission is to leave his home and seek out the writer. He must go to Bookholm - the City of Dreaming Books.

This is where Optimus's life goes haywire. People are after him because of the manuscript. And people that he thinks he can trust, he can't. Which is how he ends up in the catacombs. And lurking amongst the terrifying books is the Shadow King, determined to kill all who enter his turf.

I really really REALLY want everyone of you to turn off your computer and run to your bookstore and purchase this book. It was that good.

The names are clever too. He anagrams famous writers. I don't want to give any away to see if you can figure them out. Or better thought, maybe I'll have a contest listing a few of my favorites. *scratching head* and *looking around* at my book loot.

This is also apart of a series (evidently). I think that the rest are published in the states but I don't get the sense that you have to read them in order. I didn't after all, and never felt lost in this book.

Oh and gosh, there are so many wonderful little tidbit quotes. My book is tagged EVERYWHERE. Here are a couple of my favorite passages or one-liners:

"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written, that's all." (237)

"There's a place in the universe where all great artistic concepts accumulate, bouncing off each other and generating new ones," he said, more quietly now, "Its creative density must be immense. An invisible planet with seas of music, rivers of pure inspiration and volcanoes that spew out ideas with brainstorms flickering in the sky around them. That's the Orm, a field of force that dispenses its energy in abundance. But not to everyone. Only the elect can receive its emanations." (240)

"Simply go on climbing. it's like writing a novel. Everything's quite straightforward at first - the early chapters go with a tremendous swing, but sooner or later you begin to tire. You look back and see you're only halfway through. You look ahead and see you still have as much again to write. If you lose heart at the stage, you've had it. It's easy enough to start something. Finishing it is the hard part." (418)(less)

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Sep 04, 2011 Zschahna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gelesen-2011

Hildegunst von Mythenmetz erhält von seinem Dichtpaten Danzelot, kurz vor dessen Tod, ein Manuskript, welches der "großartigste Text der gesamten zamonischen Literatur" darstellt. Danzelot trägt Hildegunst auf nach Buchhaim zu gehen, um den Autor des Manuskriptes ausfindig zu machen. Diesem Wunsch geht er natürlich nach und macht sich auf den Weg in die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher. Leider trifft Mythenmetz dort nicht auf den gesuchten Autor, sondern findet sich, aufgrund seiner Gutgläubigkeit, i...more Hildegunst von Mythenmetz erhält von seinem Dichtpaten Danzelot, kurz vor dessen Tod, ein Manuskript, welches der "großartigste Text der gesamten zamonischen Literatur" darstellt. Danzelot trägt Hildegunst auf nach Buchhaim zu gehen, um den Autor des Manuskriptes ausfindig zu machen. Diesem Wunsch geht er natürlich nach und macht sich auf den Weg in die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher. Leider trifft Mythenmetz dort nicht auf den gesuchten Autor, sondern findet sich, aufgrund seiner Gutgläubigkeit, in den Katakomben der Stadt wieder. Er irrt von da an durch das Labyrinth und gerät dabei immer wieder in gefährliche Situationen. Er muss also nicht nur den geheimnisvollen Autor zu suchen, sondern auch noch ums Überleben kämpfen.

Walter Moers entführt auch in "Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher" seine Leser wieder in die Welt des zauberhaften Kontinents Zamonien. Man trifft dadurch auch viele bekannte Kreaturen wieder, welche in "Die 13 1/2 Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär" vorgestellt wurden.
Buchhaim ist das Paradies für alle, die gern lesen und sich mit Büchern beschäftigen - es strotzt vor Antiquaren, Buchhandlungen und Büchercafés und es finden auch viele Leseveranstaltungen statt.
Durch Moers spannende, ironische und beschreibende Sprache und seinem Talent Atmosphäre zu erzeugen, gerät der Leser mitten ins Geschehen - es gelingt ihm in diese phantastische Welt einzutauchen und gemeinsam mit Hildegunst die Abenteuer zu erleben, als wäre er hautnah dabei.
Das Buch ist von lauter liebevoller Zeichnungen durchzogen, die entweder die Figuren zeigen, welche gerade im Geschehen vorkommen oder die einige Vorstellungskraft anregen, indem zum Beispiel nur die Augen oder Klauen eines Geschöpfes gezeigt werden.
Leider war die Geschichte an einigen Stellen etwas langatmig, was meinem Lesevergnügen einen winzigen Abbruch getan hat. Aber nichtsdestotrotz habe ich mich sehr amüsiert und Moers hat mich verzaubert und begeistert und ich kann dieses Buch einfach nur weiterempfehlen!(less)

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Jul 14, 2011 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, in-german, uni-inspired, read-in-2011

Do you love reading? Do you love fantasy worlds? And do you love books? In that case, this book is for you. It's the story of a dinosaur who goes to a city where everything, and I mean everything, has to do with books. The newspaper Die Welt has called this a love declaration for literature, and in that, the critic was quite correct. I'm a bit hestitant to talk about the book or its fantasy world, because I don't want to spoil anything! But in short: the city of Buchhaim is a city full of books,...more Do you love reading? Do you love fantasy worlds? And do you love books? In that case, this book is for you. It's the story of a dinosaur who goes to a city where everything, and I mean everything, has to do with books. The newspaper Die Welt has called this a love declaration for literature, and in that, the critic was quite correct. I'm a bit hestitant to talk about the book or its fantasy world, because I don't want to spoil anything! But in short: the city of Buchhaim is a city full of books, where everyone reads and where there are hundreds of book stores. Everyone hopes to find an old book, especially those from the golden list, who are worth a fortune. These books however are usually buried underground (about 90% of Buchhaim is underground) and so Book Hunters usually go underground to look for these books: which is not entirely without danger. There are many creatures down there, none that we know of from this world, and not to mention the feud between all Book Hunters, based on the fact that they're all greedy. Hildegunst von Mythenmetz (as he's called in German), our protagonist, is a dinosaur coming to this city with a perfect manuscript in hand. He's curious as to who's written it and is looking for answers. Little does he know, that the manuscript is more dangerous than it seems..

I must admit that the story in itself didn't really fascinate me, at least not to the same extent some other things did. It was a good story, but not what really captured my attention. What I loved most about this book, was the love for books and literature. There is love for the written word in every single sentence, every single word. The city of Buchhaim and its underground world were fascinating: both scary and really beautiful. I fell in love with both the Living Books and the Booklings, who are both wonderful creatures that I'd dearly love to have as companions. The story and the fantasy world are both good, but what carries this book is the love for everything readable. And consequently, I fell in love with the book too.

The writing is also amazing. I don't know about translations, but the original German is so gorgeous. I have an insane love for the German language and its clear sounds, the way it tastes in your mouth and the strength it possesses. And this, this.. was just exceptional German. I can understand easily now, why my Literature Professor declared this was good literature and recommended it to all of us. It's so much more than just a fantasy novel. This book really, really is amazing and I would recommend it to every single one of you.(less)

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Sep 17, 2009 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: book lovers and authors ready for an odd, imaginative adventure with a dinosaur narrator!

Shelves: tyler-and-kate-bookclub

I reached the end of this tale with such mixed feelings. There were times when I felt that the book would never end and I was so very bored. There were other times when I drank up every word as if it were ambrosia, and I wanted the spirit of the book to shine through my every waking hour. Overall, the outstanding moments of imagination and muse far outweighed the plodding aspects of yet another odd-and-dangerous creature encounter or one more night (or was it day? one can never really tell) in t...more I reached the end of this tale with such mixed feelings. There were times when I felt that the book would never end and I was so very bored. There were other times when I drank up every word as if it were ambrosia, and I wanted the spirit of the book to shine through my every waking hour. Overall, the outstanding moments of imagination and muse far outweighed the plodding aspects of yet another odd-and-dangerous creature encounter or one more night (or was it day? one can never really tell) in the book catacombs.

I'm afraid a large part of my "boredom" with segments of the book stems from the fact I could never feel quite chummy with our narrator-protagonist. The ambivalence I felt toward him certainly lessened my interest in his various adventures and trials. Also, I was not a big fan of the violence and gore and "scary" creatures--granted, these were all very much in PG-13 style, but still, not my cup of tea. I discovered that "City of Dreaming Books" was not a good book to go off to dreamland with, let me tell you! These points may not be faults of the book, but rather of my not being the perfect match for the book. (I should note that my husband was, I think, a far bigger fan of it than I was.)

That said, there are so many chapters in this book that are rich in vivid and marvelous imagination! Anyone who loves book should at least give it a try! The story takes place in Bookholm, a land where books and authors are valued above everything else. The "fantasy" element includes not only the odd-creepy creatures, but some very adorable book-loving ones, and the fact that books have been made into more than just paper and ink. There are some dangerous books that can actually kill you! Adventure books that come with a bandanna so you can wipe your brow when you start sweating from the suspense. Books with rare perfumes. Books that actually come to life. And behind all this is some great mysteries: Who wrote the manuscript that was bequeathed to our dinosaur-protagonist by his authorial godfather and is probably the most outstanding book ever written? Is the Orm (said to give inspiration to authors) real? And is the Shadow King that inhabits the book catacombs friend or foe?

This story is also highly recommended for anyone who loves to write. Not since L. M. Montgomery's "Emily" series have I found a story that speaks to deeply to the spirit of authors.

All in all, I have fond feelings as I reflect back on the tale, though I tend to focus on my favorite aspects and ignore the parts that bored me! :-)

(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, books-about-books, 2012

3.5 stars probably, but I enjoyed it enough to round up.

This was a very curious combination of "what the hell is this?" and "well, I honestly don't know but I can't seem to put it down". The first 100 pages or so were a bit of a struggle to get through, I'll admit, and I certainly never expected I was going to end up liking it as much as I did.

I think my initial problems had a lot to do with how completely ridiculous this book is. In a fun way, of course, but it takes some getting used to. E.g...more

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Oct 14, 2009 Maria M. Elmvang rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars, fantasy, 2009, owned

Walter Moers created a fascinating universe and stayed true to it all the way through. I'm not sure the plot is so spectacular on its own, but the story was made so by all the details and all the descriptions that he included. It took me awhile to get used to his way of writing, so I wasn't hooked from the very first page, but the further into it I got, the more quirky it became, and I just had to know what happened next.

The City of Dreaming Books uses the book media as a way of telling the stor...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While this book was darker than I expected going in, it was also fascinating, inventive, clever, and engrossing. The illustrations alone were reason enough to go on and often did as much to tell the story as the words. The literary allusions became a bit of a guessing game and added a layer of enjoyment to the experience. Reading the English translation, it was hard to believe that the original book was in German-- but maybe that it because I only caught the allusions to English-speaking authors...more

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Aug 07, 2008 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Michelle by: Carol

Shelves: read-to-my-kids

An amazingly imaginative adventure that enthralled my younger son and delighted the older one and me. There are little literary puzzles to solve along the way of the adventures of a would-be writer, who happens to be aptly named Optimus Yarnspinner. He's also a dinosaur with wings, which we forgot in the caverns. A little slow perhaps to start but once rolling, a great ride with literary nonsense and satire in a world we wished not to leave.

It's hard to imagine the genius behind this book origi...more

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Dec 21, 2007 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: only people who deserve it.

Shelves: childrensbooksforadults

This is the best of the three Moers books I've read. Moers never seems to run out of wildly imaginative ideas and bizarre, endearing characters. Unlike Rumo or Captain Bluebear, the hero of The City of Dreaming Books has a quest from day one, and we follow him on the adventures he encounters trying to complete his mission. This book is definitely written for book lovers! It's filled with marvelous, sneaky references (all the Booklings are named after Zamonian authors, like Aleisha Wimpersleake.....more

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Mar 25, 2008 Lora rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the wittiest book I have read in a long time. A bibliophile's dream come true. It's full of wordplay and allusions to many classic works of literature, except that the references are slightly askew to fit into this novel's realm. I love that the famous authors in this story are often anagrams of well-known bards of the "real" world. The author is also kind enough to provide his own illustrations of his world. Literate dinosaurs, fearsome booklings, wicked literary agents and a Shadow Kin...more

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Oct 14, 2007 Laurie Bridges rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mabye sci-fi fanatics who are library lovers

The first half of this book needs some serious editing...a lot of "noise" (lots names and events that are irrelevant to the story - I think the author was trying to be toooo witty). The main character is a dinosaur-like creature who has lived his life in a castle learning about books. His godfather dies and he sets out on a trek to the city of Bookholm to find the author of a short but amazing manuscript his godfather has left him. The rest goes on from there.

I wouldn't read it again...but the l...more

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Mar 18, 2012 BiggisBookBox rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-at-heart, reviews

Ein plusquamperfektes Buch! Und damit meine ich nicht nur das im Wortsinn zu begreifende Aussehen des Buches an sich, sondern auch dessen Inhalt.
Eine einzige Liebeserklärung an Bücher und das Schreiben eben dieser.
"Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher" war nicht mein erstes Buch von Walter Moers, dem wohl phantasievollsten Erzähler von (Erwachsenen-)Märchen, den unser Land derzeit zu bieten hat - und es wird auch bestimmt nicht mein letztes Gewesen sein.
Gern lasse ich mich wieder in das Reich Zamonie...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Sheherazahde rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I really liked "The City of Dreaming Books" by Walter Moer. It is fanciful story with lots of cute illustrations by the author. [return][return]This is the story of Optimus Yarnspinner a "Lindworm" (dragon) from Lindworm castle, of course. All Lindworms come from Lindworm Castle and all Lindworms are natural born Authors. After the death of his godfather, Optimus Yarnspinner goes to "The City of Dreaming Books" to find the author of a mysterious manuscript that he inherited. The City of Dreaming...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Inga rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Getürmt aus Buch auf Buch
Verlassen und verflucht
Gesäumt von toten Fenstern
Bewohnt nur von Gespenstern
Befallen von Getier
Aus Leder und Papier
Ein Ort aus Wahn und Schall
Genannt Schloss Schattenhall

Zugegeben, ein wirklich Walter Moers Fan bin ich nicht, werde ich vermutlich auch nicht werden. Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher lag auch ein langes Weilchen im Stapel der ungelesenen Bücher. Um ehrlich zu sein, theoretisch müsste es da noch immer liegen. Denn ich stolperte über das dazugehörige A...more Getürmt aus Buch auf Buch
Verlassen und verflucht
Gesäumt von toten Fenstern
Bewohnt nur von Gespenstern
Befallen von Getier
Aus Leder und Papier
Ein Ort aus Wahn und Schall
Genannt Schloss Schattenhall

Zugegeben, ein wirklich Walter Moers Fan bin ich nicht, werde ich vermutlich auch nicht werden. Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher lag auch ein langes Weilchen im Stapel der ungelesenen Bücher. Um ehrlich zu sein, theoretisch müsste es da noch immer liegen. Denn ich stolperte über das dazugehörige Audiobook und habe es mir also, statt mich durch die 475 Seiten zu wühlen, von Dirk Bach vorlesen lassen. Eine gute Wahl, wie sich herausstellte. Zwar sind auch 14 CDs (!) immer noch ein Wort, aber diese waren erstaunlich kurzweilig. Von Dirk Bach und seinem eigenen Humor mag man halten, was man will, aber als Vorleser ist er brilliant. Ich kannte ihn diesbezüglich schon von einigen Terry Pratchett Lesungen und vielleicht ist es auch das humoristische Fantasy-Genre, das er besonders gut kann.
Zurück zu Moers: Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher handelt von einem Lindwurm namens Hildegunst von Mythenmetz, ein werdender Dichter, der loszieht, um den unbekannten Autor eines genialen Buchmanuskripts ausfindig zu machen. Die Spur führt ihn nach Buchhaim, einer Stadt in Zamonien, in der sich alles um Bücher, Autoren, das Schreiben und Verlegen und das Lesen dreht. Doch was sich traumhaft anhört, ist unter der Oberfläche im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes von Korruption und Dunkelheit unterwandert. So landet Hildegunst in den Katakomben von Buchhaim und trifft dort alle möglichen skurillen Gestalten.
Die liebsten davon waren mir die niedlichen Buchlinge (Zyklopen, s.o.), von denen jeder den Namen eines berühmten zamonischen Dichters annimmt und dessen Werke auswendig lernt. Großartig.
Auf der Reise lernt Hildegunst dann auch, wie man ein wirklicher und guter Schriftsteller wird, am Ende wird das Böse auf tragische Weise besiegt, wie sich das gehört.
Wirklich, die Wesen und Geschichten, die Moers hier erdacht hat, sind interessant und liebenswert, wenn man sich darauf einlässt, kann man ganz in dieser fremde Welt verschwinden und mit Hildegunst durch das Labyrinth der Katakomben irren.
Doch wie auch schon in Die 13½ Leben des Käpt’n Blaubär gibt es Passagen, die einfach langatmig von der Geschichte Zamoniens bzw. hier ihrer Literatur berichten. Für Moers-Liebhaber liegt genau hierin der Reiz, wenn man sich für diese Welt begeistern kann. Mir gelingt dies nicht immer, aber ich ziehe den Hut vor Moers' Fantasie, seinen abwechslungsreichen Charakteren und seinem liebevollen Umgang mit dem Thema Bücher und dem literarischen Schreiben und Treiben.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The City of Dreaming Books, by Walter Moers takes place in a world that corresponds to our reality in very few ways. Inhabited by countless species of dinosaur, hog-men, shark-grubs, and many other unusual beasties, Zamonia, is complex, and brimming with adventure. The young, naïve protagonist, Optimus Yarnspinner is a Lindwormian -- a species of dinosaur, which prizes literature above all else -- who’s Authorial Godfather has died. From his Godfather, he inherits rare (anonymous) manuscript. In...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Rozalia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Rozalia by: Valeria

Shelves: amazing, german-prose

I know this is going to sound really silly, but this is the best book I've ever read. It's a beautiful novel for people who love books and adventures, for daydreamers, idealists, optimists, people who haven't lost their hope, but also for pessimists and people with depression because I promise that this book will light up your world and thoughts for a while. You shouldn't underestimate the power of Walter Moers' words, he'll change your life. He has a beautiful, intelligent writing style and the...more I know this is going to sound really silly, but this is the best book I've ever read. It's a beautiful novel for people who love books and adventures, for daydreamers, idealists, optimists, people who haven't lost their hope, but also for pessimists and people with depression because I promise that this book will light up your world and thoughts for a while. You shouldn't underestimate the power of Walter Moers' words, he'll change your life. He has a beautiful, intelligent writing style and the story he tells (in fact, all the novels he's written about the imaginary continent Zamonia) will make you want to get cuddled up in bed with a cup of chocolate and a cinnamon roll and just enjoy every single page of this incredible reading adventure. I'm not lying when I say that Walter Moers is a genius.
I even filled 5 pages of my diary with quotes of this book, really. It's perfect.
I'll have to translate them for you guys because I wrote them down in German.

"When everything else is gone, we'll still have nature. It is almost an instinct that we leave the house and go out into the open air, outdoors, in our garden, with the leaves rustling and the stars shining down on us it gets easier to breathe - we can forget about the weight of the world on our shoulders. From the stars we came, to the stars we'll return. Life is just a journey to a place unknown."

"That's how I felt; I was music and danced in a burning circle, high above everything. Somewhere down there was the world, was my body, were my sorrows, but all that seemed to be completely irrelevant."

"I now understood the secret of music and knew what makes it so infinitely superior to all the other arts: its incorporeality. Once it has left an instrument it becomes its own master, a free and independent creature of sound, weightless, incorporeal and perfectly in tune with the universe."

"We all are immediate spawns of the earth; we once were dust, someday we'll turn into mold. Without cease we pass by, a parade of life, a cortège of evanescence."

"And I remembered my reflection in the mirror that I used to admire so much when I was a child, I remember the wish to be just like the person in the looking back at me. Completely alone."

If this doesn't convince you to read this book, I don't know what will.
(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Robyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-or-fantasy

This is a 464 page book, and I read it all in one sitting because I couldn't walk away from it.

In the beginning I thought it wasn't going to be for me. The anagrammed authors' names, the whole concept of a dinosaur author-wannabe travelling to a city fanatical about books, the thick paragraphs of description...it all made me skeptical. But then the book got into its stride and I was done for.

I only finished the book 3 minutes ago, so I need time to digest it before writing a proper review. Nor...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, adventure, horror, young-adult

It’s alive I tell you, alive! Everything in this book is alive, and even the book itself might be alive, possessed by the Orm and all the astral dust in between Earth and Bookholm. Moers conjures up a vast catalog of species and locations in this metafiction-fantasy that is mostly set in the catacombs below a city of readers and writers. Some parts in this book are unforgettable- like the trombomusic, the trash dump, the crystal caves, and the mine-shaft “rollercoaster”, which might be the most...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Leenchen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listen-to, fantasy

Klappentext:

Als der Pate des jungen Dichters Hildegunst von Mythenmetz stirbt, hinterläßt er seinem Schützling nur wenig mehr als ein Manuskript. Dieses aber ist so makellos, daß Mythenmetz sich gezwungen sieht, dem Geheimnis seiner Herkunft nachzugehen. Die Spur führt nach Buchhaim, der Stadt der Träumenden Bücher. Als der Held sie betritt, ist es, als würde er die Tür zu einer gigantischen Buchhandlung aufreißen. Er riecht den Anflug von Säure, der an den Duft von Zitronenbäumen erinnert, das...more Klappentext:

Als der Pate des jungen Dichters Hildegunst von Mythenmetz stirbt, hinterläßt er seinem Schützling nur wenig mehr als ein Manuskript. Dieses aber ist so makellos, daß Mythenmetz sich gezwungen sieht, dem Geheimnis seiner Herkunft nachzugehen. Die Spur führt nach Buchhaim, der Stadt der Träumenden Bücher. Als der Held sie betritt, ist es, als würde er die Tür zu einer gigantischen Buchhandlung aufreißen. Er riecht den Anflug von Säure, der an den Duft von Zitronenbäumen erinnert, das anregende Aroma von altem Leder und das scharfe, intelligente Parfüm von Druckerschwärze. Einmal in den Klauen dieser buchverrückten Stadt, wird Mythenmetz immer tiefer hineingesogen in ihre labyrinthische Welt, in der Lesen noch eine wirkliche Gefahr ist, in der rücksichtslose Bücherjäger nach bibliophilen Schätzen gieren, Buchlinge ihren Schabernack treiben und der mysteriöse Schattenkönig herrscht.

Inhalt:

Hildegunst ist eigentlich ein junger Drache, aber schenkt die Jugend einem nicht eben diesen Schatz? Dass man sich auf eine Reise begeben kann und gute Chancen hat, die Gefahren und Sehnsüchte zu überleben? Aber die Jugend hat auch seine Tücken, man kann nur wenig auf Weisheiten und Erkenntnisse zurückgreifen und so ist es vor allem Hildegunsts Jugend, die ihn viele törichte Dinge machen lässt.
Trotzdem tritt Hildegunst seine Reise in die Stadt der träumenden Bücher an, nach Buchhaim, wo er hofft, den Autor eines vollkommenen Skriptes zu finden. In Buchhaim fühlt er sich wie in einem Paradies, denn die ganze Stadt kennt nur ein Thema: Bücher, Lesen, Rezitieren, Antiquariate, Drucken, Listen und die Liebe zum geschriebenem Wort. Doch schon bald lernt er die Tücken dieser Stadt kennen, wem kann man trauen? Wer will einem etwas Gutes und wer etwas Böses? Und was ist schon an Büchern so gefährlich, dass man sie besser nicht in die Hand nehmen sollte?
So begleiten wir Hildegunst in die Welt unter die Stadt, in das Labyrinth und Katakomben von Buchhaim, entdeckten Monster und fremde Völker, Schätze und Ruinen, Bücher und Bücherjäger. Aber auch die Schatten wird er finden und dessen König, dem Schattenkönig.
Wie er nun wieder aus dem Labyrinth findet und welche Erfahrungen er dabei sammelt, das ist das Ergebnis, was wir in unseren Händen halten, denn das Buch ist Hildegunst Reisebericht.

Meinung:

Grandios! Man spürt deutlich das Orm, welches beim Hören einen durchfließt und oft möchte man Stellen nochmals hören, um diese Kraft und vor allem Liebe ein weiteres Mal zu spüren.
Nicht nur ist Dirk Bach ein erstklassiger Vorleser, die Geschichte ist einfach ideal, erstklassig, traumhaft, fesselnd.
Das Hörbuch war eine wirklich tolle Begleitung während unserer Rundfahrt durch Frankreich, wir hingen förmlich an Dirk Bachs Stimme und waren jedesmal betrübt, wenn wir pausieren mussten, weil wir uns ja auch was ansehen wollten ;)

Bewertung:

Volle Punkte: 5 Sterne und ein großes Dankeschön für diese wunderbaren Hörstunden(less)

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Mar 08, 2011 Omiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: изба-читальня, приключения, фэнтези

Мрачноватая сказка о читателях, писателях и охотниках за книгами. Книгород – это настоящий город-мечта любого книгомана, это город, где на каждом углу стоят книжные магазины и библиотеки, где одной из самых опасных считается профессия охотника за книгами - ими становятся только самые отчаянные сорвиголовы, рискующие углубляться в катакомбы города в поисках раритетных изданий. Населяют мир этой книги представители необычных рас: динозавры, ужаски, книжнецы и прочие удивительные создания. Главный...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of my new favorite books of all time! I love everything about books, so a book about books in the wondrous style of Mr. Moers was bound to be perfect for me. Following Optimus Yarnspinner to the catacombs beneath the wondrous city of Bookholm, a place full of books, danger and Booklings, was a journey that never failed to delight. The books described are ones that I wouldn't mind reading myself, and I really enjoyed trying to figure out the anagrammed names of the authors whose work...more

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Aug 04, 2010 PJC rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I… don’t know how to describe it. The cover compared the author to J.K. Rowling, Douglas Adams, Shel Silverstein, Monty Python and Terry Pratchett so how could I resist? But it started out strangely, so strangely that I wondered if this was an adult or young adult book, and then I thought it was a children's book and then changed my mind again, because it teetered back and forth.

Then there were the illustrations. They were black and white and looked like a cross between Sandra Boynton and Edward...more

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Dec 31, 2009 Douglas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Darkly, yet delightfully whimsical, this book was given to me as a shot in the dark by family for Christmas. With the first paragraph I'd decided this book was for me, and before the drive home was over, I'd read the entire thing. It was well worth the read and I enjoyed it immensely.

The story is narrated by Optimus Yarnspinner, a dinosaur of Lindworm Castle where others of his kind devote their attentions to creative writing. He is sent by his dying godfather to find the author of a mysterious...more

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Jul 12, 2009 Katri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Fantastic. I'm in literary love. This was the first book by Walter Moers that I read but will definitely not be the last. I have rarely loved and adored a book as much as this one.

The ultimate book for any booklovers with a sense of humour and a love for good, exciting stories. "The City of Dreaming Books" tells the story of Hildegunst von Mythenmetz (called Optimus Yarnspinner in the English translation, but I read a Finnish translation which kept the original German name of the protagonist) wh...more Fantastic. I'm in literary love. This was the first book by Walter Moers that I read but will definitely not be the last. I have rarely loved and adored a book as much as this one.

The ultimate book for any booklovers with a sense of humour and a love for good, exciting stories. "The City of Dreaming Books" tells the story of Hildegunst von Mythenmetz (called Optimus Yarnspinner in the English translation, but I read a Finnish translation which kept the original German name of the protagonist) who inherits a mysterious manuscript from his godfather and, in quest for its author, is driven into the exciting but dangerous depths of Bookholm, a city entirely devoted to books. Everything in the story revolves around books, reading and writing, and the story is written in accordance with all the rules of good storytelling so that in 500 pages the story never slows down too much but becomes more and more exciting, and at the same time the story is voluminous enough to have time for revealing much of the fantastic world of the book. There dangerous Bookhunters hunt unscrupulously for valuable books, a book-filled labyrinth under the city is also filled with unspeakable monsters, and one-eyed little Booklings deep in the labyrinth are all devoted to a single author, memorizing his or her entire work.

The characters in the story are lovely; the protagonist is simply adorable, and easy for any book nerd to relate to, and I also love the various friends and helpers he meets during his quest, and the villains are delicious as well. Moers' imagination is truly impressive, and his love for books and good storytelling is obvious, which makes is easy for the reader to fall in love as well. The book is full of wacky humour, and it's crazy and whimsical enough that it may be dismissed as silly by people who expect novels to be Serious and Devoted To Being Great Art. But a story about a literate dinosaur's adventures is probably not meant for such people anyway, and the book it hit my sense of humour exactly. It's also partly just the wacky humour that made me love the characters and the story so much that I also cried for it. To me a book as lovable, fun and exciting as this is worth much more as art than a thousand Serious Art Novels written for critics and academics rather than a reading audience who loves a good story and sympathetic characters.

The creatures in Zamonia all resemble some kind of animals or mythical monsters or creatures you never imagined before. Sometimes I find books with such characters annoying because it seems the author is just trying to be cutesy or trying to tell me that Also Other Creatures Than Humans Are Worth Telling Stories About (I hate being preached at), but in this case it all seems entirely natural: of course the protagonist is a literate dinosaur, of course all dinosaurs are writers, of course a legendary bookhunter resembles a fox, a book agent looks like a wild boar and so on, and of course Booklings are small cute cyclops. It's how things are in the world of the book and it doesn't seem at all forced, preachy or cutesy.

I agree with the warning in the beginning of the story about how dangerous this book can be. I could scarcely put it down after I had started it, nearly ignoring little facts of life such as that I should eat. And after excitedly reading its 500 pages, laughing, crying and fearing through it, I remain under its spell and will no doubt have to find all of Moers' books and read them, as well as continue reading piles and piles of other books because seriously, I can't read a whole exciting novel about books and not have it wash my brain into wanting to do nothing but read, read, read, no matter how much more "useful" things there are I should do. Because really, now nothing seems as important as good books. And certainly I will have to return to the literary catacombs under Bookholm again.(less)

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Jan 29, 2012 aboxofcereal rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For this one, Moers tries to not be as episodic in structure in comparison to his previous two Zamonian books, and as a reslut the novel comes up weaker for it. The other two Zamonian books were made up of these little fun, imaginative sections or tales and the threads would usually come to together as a whole to create something even when it had seemed like Moers hadn't done a whole lot of planning about which direction his novel was going to head. Intuitively, he knew where he was going for th...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Borax rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although digressive at spots...especially so when Optimus discusses the history of horror books in the midst of an otherwise plot driven section of the book...THE CITY OF DREAMING BOOKS is a great novel for lovers of books. What drives one to write? At what point have you "made it"? Optimus is born and bred to be a great writer...until his uncle sends him on a crazy mission: to find the greatest writer ever! Name...unknown. Books written...unknown. Description...unknown. Last known location: Boo...more

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Dec 20, 2009 ☞ max . . . rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: seventh-grade

This book is awesome!!! When I was reading the last couple of chapters my mind was going crazy. I felt like our world was nothing compared the world of zamonia. There is something new and crazy about every chapter that keeps your brain stuck to this book. Optimus Yarnspinner's travels through bookholm made me feel emotions of every kind. At times, the misfortune of this character made me feel like crying!

Part one is so interesting. All through part 1, I had a grin on my face. I kept thinking "...more

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About Walter Moers

Walter Moers was born in 1957 and is a writer, cartoonist, painter and sculptor. He has refused to be photographed ever since his comic strips The Little Asshole and Adolf were published, the latter leading him to be declared persona non grata by the political right in Germany. Walter Moers lives in Hamburg.

More about Walter Moers...

Books by Walter Moers

The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear (Zamonia, #1)

Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures (Zamonia, #3)

Ensel und Krete. Ein Märchen aus Zamonien (Zamonien, #2)

Das Labyrinth der Träumenden Bücher (Zamonien, #6)

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“Reading is an intelligent way of not having to think.” — 94 people liked it

“Stealing from one author is plagiarism; from many authors, research.” — 71 people liked it

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The City of Dreaming Books (Zamonien #4)

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