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Verhext und zugenäht!
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 1996
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April 25, 2023
Originally published in Flemish under the title of Trijntje Buskruit (which means Trijntje Gunpowder in English), Silke Schmidt's German language translation of Bea de Koster's text (and which is titled Verhext und zugenäht!) is basically a fun and episodic "little witch" type of story, with nothing all that developed character wise and featuring a narrative that is also rather on the surface and thus lacking a bit of depth, but which has still been an engaging and massively entertaining way for me to spend about half an hour or so of reading time on Open Library (and honestly speaking, sometimes that is all I want and need from a book, and with me definitely smirking and giggling quite often regarding Bea de Koster's/Silke Schmidt's text for Verhext und zugenäht!, including finding the German book title both clever and also hilarious, as Verhext und zugenäht! is of course and obviously a word play on the idiomatic expression verflixt und zugenäht and would mean something like darn and blast in English).
And just to point out, there are definitely some similarities between Verhext und zugenäht! (and of course also by extension the Flemish original) and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books (and in particular with author and translator having a Tarnkappe present, showing an invisibly hat that is very similar to Harry's invisibility cloak and that the street where Max Magie has his shop of witchy merchandise certainly feels very much like Diagon Alley for and to me). But well, be that as it may, my inner child has definitely very much enjoyed reading the various episodes of Verhext und zugenäht! (and indeed has also found the similarities to the Potter novels decently fun in and of themselves) and really does adore how main protagonist and little witch Bea Blocksberg (the Trijntje Buskruit of the original) is not only likeable, helpful (even if majorly scatterbrained and unorganised) but also busily and happily making friends with both her often rather grouchy neighbour and with the overly protected and controlled by an annoying helicopter mother children of her apartment building's superintendent (and yes, I do really textually enjoy how in much of Western European children's literature, intergenerational friendships are not only promoted and celebrated but are generally seen as something entirely natural, positive and hardly ever as uncanny, as strange or potentially problematic).
Three stars for Verhext und zugenäht!, warmly recommended (and with Silke Brix-Henker's black and white accompanying artwork providing a nicely rendered decorative trim that sweetly and successfully mirrors the verbal fun presented with and by Bea de Koster's text and of course also Silke Schmidt's translation, although part of me does kind of wish that the original illustrator's pictures had been retained for Verhext und zugenäht! as I am rather keen on Gerda Dendooven's artwork), a story that is not all that nuanced and does not present anything all that deeply philosophical and thought-provoking but simply features a fun and engaging little tale of delightful witchery and friendship (but with the caveat that in order to read and understand Verhext und zugenäht!, readers will of course and naturally need to have a decent German language fluency and that with the original, with Trijntje Buskruit, readers will obviously need to be able to have and do the same with regard to Flemish or with Dutch).
Now I do have to add the following considering the above mentioned Harry Potter novels similarities. For while I do stand by having noticed this in Verhext und zugenäht!, it is true that the original Flemish text, that Trijntje Buskruit was actually published pre Harry Potter (in 1990) but the translated German edition post Harry Potter (in 1999). So now I am of course wondering a bit whether Bea de Koster's original narrative actually contains the Harry Potter similarities I have noticed in Verhext und zugenäht! or if they might have been added by Silke Schmidt in her translation. And of course, if Trijntje Buskruit has those Harry Potter like textual parts in 1990, could J.K. Rowling perhaps have somehow been inspired and/or influenced by Bea de Koster, (although this probably would not be the case as it does not look like Trijntje Buskruit has ever been translated into English, as I can only find Verhext und zugenäht! as translations).
And just to point out, there are definitely some similarities between Verhext und zugenäht! (and of course also by extension the Flemish original) and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books (and in particular with author and translator having a Tarnkappe present, showing an invisibly hat that is very similar to Harry's invisibility cloak and that the street where Max Magie has his shop of witchy merchandise certainly feels very much like Diagon Alley for and to me). But well, be that as it may, my inner child has definitely very much enjoyed reading the various episodes of Verhext und zugenäht! (and indeed has also found the similarities to the Potter novels decently fun in and of themselves) and really does adore how main protagonist and little witch Bea Blocksberg (the Trijntje Buskruit of the original) is not only likeable, helpful (even if majorly scatterbrained and unorganised) but also busily and happily making friends with both her often rather grouchy neighbour and with the overly protected and controlled by an annoying helicopter mother children of her apartment building's superintendent (and yes, I do really textually enjoy how in much of Western European children's literature, intergenerational friendships are not only promoted and celebrated but are generally seen as something entirely natural, positive and hardly ever as uncanny, as strange or potentially problematic).
Three stars for Verhext und zugenäht!, warmly recommended (and with Silke Brix-Henker's black and white accompanying artwork providing a nicely rendered decorative trim that sweetly and successfully mirrors the verbal fun presented with and by Bea de Koster's text and of course also Silke Schmidt's translation, although part of me does kind of wish that the original illustrator's pictures had been retained for Verhext und zugenäht! as I am rather keen on Gerda Dendooven's artwork), a story that is not all that nuanced and does not present anything all that deeply philosophical and thought-provoking but simply features a fun and engaging little tale of delightful witchery and friendship (but with the caveat that in order to read and understand Verhext und zugenäht!, readers will of course and naturally need to have a decent German language fluency and that with the original, with Trijntje Buskruit, readers will obviously need to be able to have and do the same with regard to Flemish or with Dutch).
Now I do have to add the following considering the above mentioned Harry Potter novels similarities. For while I do stand by having noticed this in Verhext und zugenäht!, it is true that the original Flemish text, that Trijntje Buskruit was actually published pre Harry Potter (in 1990) but the translated German edition post Harry Potter (in 1999). So now I am of course wondering a bit whether Bea de Koster's original narrative actually contains the Harry Potter similarities I have noticed in Verhext und zugenäht! or if they might have been added by Silke Schmidt in her translation. And of course, if Trijntje Buskruit has those Harry Potter like textual parts in 1990, could J.K. Rowling perhaps have somehow been inspired and/or influenced by Bea de Koster, (although this probably would not be the case as it does not look like Trijntje Buskruit has ever been translated into English, as I can only find Verhext und zugenäht! as translations).
Displaying 1 of 1 review