A book within a book

[Eugene]

The original hardcover version is the one to purchase and read. The words are printed in green and red. Green is the fairy tale and red is your reality. Spookily, red gets suck into green. There are 26 chapters and each chapter begins with a letter of the alphabet. Kinda of like Genesis: In the beginning was the word.

[*Kashi*]

that's one of the things I really liked in this book. I really enjoyed it. Would love to read something similar.

[Michelle]

The first half of the book, which I say with some shame, where the movie began and ended, was great. The other half, beginning with Bastian Balthazar Bux ‘s adventure through Fantastica got under my skin because the protagonist Bastian had become a narcissistic little whiny creature. Wonderful book all in all, though, artwork and all.

[Trish]

There was a second movie (released in theaters) that took its inspiration from the second half of the book, but lost something in the "Months later, and Bastion and Correander became pals and NOW FANTASIA [movie name] IS IN TROUBLE OMG[Chatspeak used to indicate my internal laughter]!!!1!"

I thought that the second half was really cool with the book containing itself and mixing with reality. Well the book in itself was the end of the first half, but you know, when the lines got really blurred is what I mean. It also tied Bastion up as a character with a little closure.

The illuminated letters at the beginnings of each chapter were GORGEOUS. I can't imagine the book without them.

[[deleted user]]

I think the second half works just as well as the first, if only because of Bastion's redemption at the end. He has been sucked into the book (literally and figuratively) and has lost himself. He needs reality. There is a place for fiction and a place for the world, and they should be kept separate - all of which is highlighted by the coloured type. Bastion loses his identity through the fiction, becomes a fiction himself and then remembers the world. He grows up. Yup, Neverending Story is a masterpiece.

[Clark]

Reading these posts reminds me that I need to reread this book. As mentioned, part of the books originality was in its colored typesetting etc. It's always problematic to compare the movie version to a book, but the filmed version of this book was so disappointing. I knew it was off on the wrong foot when Atreyu's ride/friend looked more like a St. Bernard dog than a dragon. We have the technology to make a better film but this is one of those novels that is so uniquely constructed as a book that it should always be read first. It was absolutely magical, one of those books that becomes a permanent part of you after reading.

[Melissa]

I'd been looking for a copy of this for years and I finally found one today!! So exciting! Anyway, the great thing is that it came in the middle of a big reading slump for me, where I haven't been able to find anything to keep my attention for more than the title. After I brought it home, I couldn't put it down.
I've been a fan of the 1st movie since I was little and while I've seen the second one, I really didn't like it. That being said, books are just about always better than the movies, so I definitely have high hopes for this one.

[Silvermoon]

I think every child should read this book before they grow up. It shows how amazing and boundless the imagination is. Whatever your mind can conceive can become real in your imagination. This book was so amazingly creative, I never wanted it to end. I read it as a teenager. I read it to my son. And I will continue to share it with every child I know to show them what their mind is capable of. You should never feel bored or lonely if you have a great imagination!

[Melissa]

I don't know, the second half of the book is really kind of a downer.

[Sara]

It's the first book I read, or better I've been read by my sister, I was five and I loved it so much... I fell in love with reading thanks to this book!

[Melissa]

Michelle wrote: "The first half of the book, which I say with some shame, where the movie began and ended, was great. The other half, beginning with Bastian Balthazar Bux ‘s adventure through Fantastica got under m..."

I definitely agree. I LOVED the first half. In fact, as I was getting near the end of the first half, I was thinking, "This is a perfect ending... why is there so much book left?"

But I kept reading... maybe if it were written as a sequel, I would have liked it better. But by the time I started the second half, I already had closure. The book was done for me. So it just ended up seeming too long.

My version didn't have the two colors, though... That sounds amazing!

[Sparrowlicious]

I own a reprint of the original book, but it's a softcover one, oh well. Still, the decorations of the first letters are very nice and that it's printed in green and red too. :)
Since mine's a reprint it also has a new afterword, stating that Ende despised how they changed the meaning of his story in the movie and how they left out the second part of the book. In retrospect I can only agree with him on that. They changed so much. Of course, the movie is nice, but it lacks the meaning of the book's story in it's entirety. This is one of the books you better read before watching the movie, but assuming TV stations love showing this story on TV you will probably not manage to do that. So, if you have kids, read them the book before they get to see the movie.

[Kronik]

I have just read this amazing story. Now, I am telling it to my 6 years old daughter every night before she sleeps. She can't wait the other day. I didn't tell the name of the story, but after 4 day telling it she said "father, it seems that this story is a neverending one" :)

[Erika]

Sara wrote: "It's the first book I read, or better I've been read by my sister, I was five and I loved it so much... I fell in love with reading thanks to this book!"

Me too!!!

[Nahnah]

I love this atory.....

[Wendy]

Michelle wrote: "The first half of the book, which I say with some shame, where the movie began and ended, was great. The other half, beginning with Bastian Balthazar Bux ‘s adventure through Fantastica got under m..."

I agree, Bastian did get whiny...and I'm not sure I really understood the meaning of the second half, or what he was trying to say. I'm with Melissa, the first half was perfect.

[Kerry]

this book is genius. amazing, yes... but there is no better story than the one that does not end :)it pours out of the pages and into the soul (metaphor). the book is about coming to know oneself... it is numinous. i am in awe every time i read it.

i highly recommend momo, which ende also wrote.

[Hoche]

I saw the movie first when i was a kid. i fell in love with the story, the music, and the visuals aided with my very young impressionable mind. i fell in love with the childlike empress with her dreamy luminous eyes. i even fell in love with atreyu, which i thought looked too pretty to be a boy. i read the book decades later and i was amazed by the amount of details that were left out of the book. i am pretending the two sequels never existed. i still loved the first one though. nothing beats first love.

[[deleted user]]

This was one of the most interesting books I have ever read. It completely engulfed me in the mind boggling story! :)