The Adventurous Simplicissimus - von Grimmelshausen

[1001shelf]

The Adventurous Simplicissimus - Hans Jakob Christoph Von Grimmelshausen, 1668.

Place reviews here, please.

[Amanda]

Quite the interesting book: it's kind of like Forest Gump, meets fantasy, in the 1600s backdrop of the 30 years war.

The book follows the titular hero, named so because at a young age he gets adopted by a forest hermit who asks him what his name is, and he doesn't even know that. Being contemporary to the time it is written about, this may be one of the first narratives of the "simpleton hero" who wafts through historical moments and fantastic adventures (there are several others of this variety on the list alone).

And what does he waft through in this case? After leaving the hermit's care he travels through French society, the Germanic provinces during the 30 years war and serves in the military, becomes something of a page in Russia, and at some point I believe joins "Neapolitan high society" as well. He also fights 'the human embodiment of the "Roman god Jupiter" at one point, and ends up in a kingdom of mermen. After surviving many trials earthly and godly, he too retreats into a hermit life, being disgusted at the follies of human wrath, politicking, and debauchery of the ruling classes.

It works as an epic of human history, a delightful flight into fantasy, and a treatise on human nature and what truly has value. I greatly enjoyed it and gave it 4 stars.