Jump to content

(Walter Moers) Zamonien - waiting for october (spoiler)


Neumond

Recommended Posts

The last installment of the Buchhaim-Trilogy, is scheduled for october.


And I know, there are other boarders out there appreciating the madness and wonders of Zamonien.


This is a place to discuss the taste of bee-bread, Mythenmetz fall from the orm and why the heck witches are fond of birch trees.


The book will be called "Das Schloss der Träumenden Bücher" (the castle of dreaming books). There is not much known of the content. The title of course seems to imply something related to the shadow king or his castle. And what does it mean, when the story is "beginning" after two lengthy tomes?


There isn´t a release date for the english translation yet. But wikipedia says, that John Brownjohn will likely translate it (Although there is no source for this statement).



It might be a bit early for the thread. But I want to start a reread of Ensel and Krete (it´s been years since I´ve read it.). So I thought I open the thread and share my thoughts on the book. I would love to discuss it. :)


Sadly Ensel and Krete seems to be one of the books not translated into english. So I´ll use spoiler tags for plot-points.



In the meantime have a look at this wonderful map of Zamonien:


http://www.zamonien.de/landkarte.php

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ensel and Krete review of the first chapter:



Because Moers is a reknown comic-artist, I spend some time admiring the wrapper.


It has an old look to it and introduces some of the creatures of the forest. It´s apparent from their names, this isn´t a forest where children should get lost in ;).


Although I have the urge to hug the Totenköpfchen. (Totenköpfchen = skull + diminutive = teeny tiny cutie pie skully(lein). :wub: )


And the Fusselzecke (fuzzy tick) seems to be related to Fredda.


Moers already shows his fondness for word plays.



There is also a map of the great forest. Eichendorf (oak village) seems scary...



Inside the book:


As the story is told by Mythenmetz, he obviously can´t resist to torture us with one of his poems about the great forest...



The story begins:


I learn, that this forest is a favorite destination for tourists in Zamonien to relax. Although the ranger with the many-toothed smile seems a bit shady :shocked: .


The ranger reassures that he is friendly and his toothes are welcoming the tourist. Then he plays the pity card. I´m not convinced yet... He probably shouldn´t have mentioned his sharp claws.



And I don´t know, why anyone would want to smoke Phogarren in the forest. Forest fire anyone?


Or is this an attempt to pollute the air? There are probably very many Haifischmaden (shark-maggots) in the forest. You really shouldn´t let your kids wander of here...


The many-toothed smile seems to be a warning directed at rowdies. Ok, now I´m reassured. This ranger will protect a harmless tourist.


Erklärbärmodus (explaining bear mode):


Those Buntbären (colored bears) seem to go to great lengths to look cute and cuddly.


They even call their scary forest "Bauming" because they think, it sounds more civilized.


There are also many villages and they really sound very civilized.


- Quellheim (sourcetown???)reminds me of those people in traditional clothes roaming the (real life) Spreewald with their cute boats.


- Waldläufers Rast (wood runners halt) seems to be directed at hippies. I get the feeling, this forest is a tourist trap.


- Honing (honeyton???) seems a bit dangerous for allergic people, be aware.


- Palisadentrutz (palisadeford) is some secret military area... Interesting.


- Akazien seems the only non-touristic thing in the whole forest.



It´s good to know that breathing is allowed in the forest. But I´m a bit disappointed that there are advertising panels. :bs:



Woha ok, there are signs which forbid to go further because of dangers for your life and lasting effects on your health.


I almost fell for the cuddly thing. Now I´m suspicious again.



An old acquaintence awaits in the depths of the forest:


The body of the Waldspinnenhexe (wood spider witch) which tried to catch captain blue bear with unfaire Lockmethoden (unfair baiting methods) is still to be seen in the forest.


Even the bears with their many-toothed smiles and sharp claws don´t like this thing.


Luckily they don´t allow mentally unstable or persons not responsible for their actions in the forest, so no one goes near this area.


(I think they might have forgotten something... :idea: )



The establishments all sound very pleasantly. And the restaurant named "Zum verstopften Waldhorn" (to the clogged forest horn) to reassure the people of a relaxing environment, just gave me the giggles. :rofl:



An introduction to the fauna of the forest: I learn, Einhörnchen (cutie pie unicorns (diminutive again)) cry at night. Because their female counterparts are notorious cheater. That´s not cutie pie at all!


And the Glückskuckuck (lucky cuckoo) sounds obnoxious...



Oha, the heart of the forest is forbidden. But you can hear the Sternenstauner (star wonderer) at night. Sounds all very magical.



That´s it. The next chapter has to wait. :)




favorite words:


- Druidenbirken (druid birch) It just rolls nicely from the tongue and evokes something magical.


- Dampfbiergarten (steam beer garden) sounds interesting when the weather is a meany...


- Blaubeerwein (blue berry wine) sounds yummy and just beautiful.


- Keckerling (mean giggler)


- Sternenstauner (star wonderer) I´m sure Moers composed this word just for me. :wub:


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent, thanks for starting this thread! :)

I have read 13 1/2 Lives, Schrecksenmeister and Rumo in Slovene. Also The City of Dreaming Books and Ensel & Krete in original. I still need to find time for Labyrinth (but then I know how it ends and plot spoilers are not actually that big a thing with Moers, at least for me). Rereading E&K right now.

Still hiding everything just in case.

Really the biggest surprise in Ensel & Krete for me was when Mythenmetz suddently starts talking about himself and completely falls out of the story. I was so shocked and started laughing. I think I would actually consider this the biggest spoiler in there. One cannot even spoil the ending because, well, there is no real end.

Mythenmetz never tortures us with his poetry, he graces us with it. Did you notice that the introduction poem to the Great Wood is actually a parallel of Dante's beginning of Divine Comedy? And I have no idea if anybody notices the same, but the poem about the Laubwolf is really similar to Rilke's Panther. That is the biggest quality of Moers, that he gives all those subtle or not so subtle (Ojahnn Golgo van Fontheweg, seriously!) hints to other literature texts. I probably miss a lot of them already, but I do enjoy those that I can find. And the way he phrases things ironically with silly new words and twists of sentences.

Also, to avoid confusions for the readers in English:
Hildegunst von Mythenmetz = Optimus Yarnspinner (i. e. Blagorad Basnodolski if you read in Slovene :P)

Abdul Nachtigaller = Abdullah Nightingale (Črtomir Črnonočnik, never going to understand that decision)

Käpt'n Blaubär = Captain Bluebear (Kapitan Sinjedlakec)

These are the ones I know. Feel free to add other versions of names to make it easier for other thread-users to understand whom/what everybody is talking about. I have no clue about how other "life forms" of Zamonien are translated into English, I just know most of them in Slovene.

Oh, and are you saying Sternenstauner is not a real word outside of Zamonien-universe? :O

(Will surely resond more later. No time for all the details right now.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

B(lue)B ... are you drunk or is that an attempt on Zamonish? ;)



No idea about vile Grubsharks. They tend to come when the story is set in a city, right?

In 13 1/2 in the Atlantis chapter, in Rumo, in City ... but not in E&K which is set in a forest, and not in Schrecksenmeister/Alchemaster's Apprentice (though there are no apprentices in that book, what the hell?) because it is based on a different story.


It is funny that all those evil beings seem to be from the same family though. I am not sure about Rumo (I have only read it once and I do not remember liking it that much as the rest of them), but the one in 13 1/2 and City at least have the same family name.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's the way Nabgor the Ninthtynine speaks. He says the bleslabsyl in words in versere deror.



I need to read Ersmastcheal Ticepprena, I don't know why it's called ticepprena. :dunno: And Sulen und Krete n'thas been edlattran and I can't standderun Manger yondbe a few esphras here and there.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

The blue bear himself has come :). And Bucky! :cheers:



Is a Grubshark a Haifischmade?


The Buntbären are at least worried about Phogarren (those cigar-things only Haifischmaden/Grubsharks can smoke), which means there must be some Haifischmaden somewhere in the forest. Don´t know what they are up to though.



Or did you ask because of castle? I think it is a safe bet to expect them there. Buchhaim is a major city. The Smeik family is everywhere there... It´s never a bad idea to be suspicious of Grubsharks...


I´m thinking of putting an index in the first post with the translations of names. I´m not familiar with the english or slovenian names.



For a taste of Ensel und Krete you could read my review. It´s about the prologue (the first eight pages...).



I´d guess the apprentice is meant to emphasize the connection to the poem from Ohjann Golgo van Fontheweg ;). The german name Schrecksenmeister sounds like Hexenmeister which reminds me very strongly of the opening line from the poem. (Hat der alte Hexenmeister...) And a connection to Ohjann Golgo is quite fitting, if you think of the faustian plot...


I´m not sure, what Schrecksen are called in english but the wordplay probably didn´t work out as well...



Buckwheat: I agree Moers isn´t about the plot for me neither. But you never know what others like.


And wow, I never made the connection with Dante. Thank you! This thread is already paying off. :)


Sternenstauner is a real word. It is a neologism. I´m sure you know, the german language is essentially a lego brick system with it´s prefixes, suffixes and composite words. And most authors have the ambition to create beautiful and fitting words. Moers is just the master of word-building. :bowdown:


Many of his creations sound so natural as Sternenstauner does. :wub: Or if they don´t it´s seems intentional... This is the thing about his writing I enjoy the most. It´s fun watch Moers play with the language.


(I´d guess most germans would call somebody looking at the stars in awe (a stargazer) a Sternengucker (star-watcher). So Sternenstauner emphasizes the wondrous side of stargazing... I love it.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good morning fellows,


here are spme thoughts on the second chapter. :)



review second chapter:



The last chapter closed at night. This chapter starts in the morning.


But something feels very wrong about blowing harmony-greedy tourists out of their beds at 6 am...


They absolutely should clog those forest horns.



Breakfast sounds yummy and anything with blue bears ah berries in it is appreciated. I´m not sure about Eichelkaffee (acorn coffee) though. Sounds like they are going a bit overboard with economizing. That´s probably what the Haifischmaden (Grubsharks) do in this forest.


And I have to say the author (Mythenmetz) strikes me as a bit preachy. He tries to tell me everything is picturesque and idyllic and exemplary.


But as a descendant from people with a great despotic tradition, it´s my duty to warn those multicolored bears with their multicolored houses and their exemplary daily routine and their exemplary red uniforms and their exemplary circus artistic. Sounds like the dream of a dictator who got stung from a Dämonenbiene (demon bee). And I´m not ok with Mythenmetz implying I should admire this as picturesque!



And the "Brandwächterlied" (fire watchers song) makes me remember Palisadentrutz... Interesting.



I think those Buntbären in doctor gowns got stung, too. And cutting whole branches just because of lice infestation seems somewhat drastic. After remembering their many toothed smiles, I decide to keep quiet about it.



I get the feeling those Buntbären worry about the wrong things. Instead of regulating ant-streets someone should investigate Palisadentrutz.


Needless to say: they are singing again.

Sounds like a christmas song.



Woodruff lemonade could explain some things. Woodruff isn´t as potent as Dämonenbienen (demon bees). But depending on the amount... I still want one.



Indoctrinating the kids and tourists... Yeah that´s fitting. Slipping in a distorted constitution between bee breeding and fire prevention aren´t we? But they offer berry searching seminars. I like berries.



This forest is a tourist trap but it offers great activities. And everything is so exemplary and regulated. You don´t even have to waste your time with your family. Bauming is a perfectly organized paradise.



Oha a Fhernhachen boy (Ensel) is rioting because of too many raspberries! That´s wrong on so many levels.


His twin sister tries to calm him down by threatening him with a witch.


The boy doesn´t take it. He is very smart(ass). His sister Krete conters with the constitution of Bauming. I think she spend some time in the Buntbärenschule (school for multicolored bears). Good for her!


Citing the bauminger constitution is always appreciated.


Ensel thinks his sister is brain washed. Where do kids get such nonsense?



Ensel is trying to entangle his sister in a conspiracy. I think she should tell a ranger of this. For Ensels safety and hers. Climbing trees... That´s dangerous! And on top of that throwing raspberries around!


He needs to listen to one of those constitution readings.



No Ensel! Why would you want to leave the civilized Buntbärenwelt (world of multicolored bears)? It´s all so perfectly organized. :wub:



An Erdgnömchen (cutie pie earth gnome) dances and eats the raspberries. I´m relieved the forest is able to keep itself in order.


The Erdgnömchen will get a promotion for finding so many raspberries and be named clan chief "many raspberries".


It´s fully deserved. It´s clan members will even help to clean the forest.




favorite words:


Waldverherrlichungslieder - songs glorifying the forest :eek:


Buntbärenverfassung - constitution of multicolored bears.


verkehrsberuhigte Ameisenstraßen - Ant streets with calmed/regulated traffic. Not a neologism but an awesome combination. :lmao:



The constitution is awesome. (Alle Buntbären sind ungleich - All multicolored bears are unequal.)


Bear farm... :rofl:



The Buntbären in picture 24 don´t seem very unequal to me.


Have you seen those eyes? I´m starting to think about secret rituals at Palisadentrutz involving demon bees...



And what are the bears doing in Akazien, where they like to keep to themselves? Very fishy the whole thing. :lol:


Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just wrote a page-and-a-half long analysis of E&K at an exam. I am also doing it for another assignment.

And now I am on this thread, because I am obsessed.

I´d guess the apprentice is meant to emphasize the connection to the poem from Ohjann Golgo van Fontheweg ;). The german name Schrecksenmeister sounds like Hexenmeister which reminds me very strongly of the opening line from the poem. (Hat der alte Hexenmeister...) And a connection to Ohjann Golgo is quite fitting, if you think of the faustian plot...

I´m not sure, what Schrecksen are called in english but the wordplay probably didn´t work out as well...

<...>

Sternenstauner is a real word. It is a neologism. I´m sure you know, the german language is essentially a lego brick system with it´s prefixes, suffixes and composite words. And most authors have the ambition to create beautiful and fitting words. Moers is just the master of word-building. :bowdown:

Many of his creations sound so natural as Sternenstauner does. :wub: Or if they don´t it´s seems intentional... This is the thing about his writing I enjoy the most. It´s fun watch Moers play with the language.

(I´d guess most germans would call somebody looking at the stars in awe (a stargazer) a Sternengucker (star-watcher). So Sternenstauner emphasizes the wondrous side of stargazing... I love it.

Schrecksenmeister is not really supposed to be connected with dear old Golgo though, right? The whole story is a (hypertextual!) transformation of a novella by Gottfried Keller with the title Spiegel, das Kätzchen. I mean, I am not saying that there are no connections to Goethe in there, as there probably are. But the whole novel is based on this other story. I did not know that when I started reading it (I did not even know of this Keller's novella, and have since then only read parts - need to read the whole thing once), I read about it somewhere else, but I noticed some parallels already. The most obvious things that come to me now:

Pineiß - Eißpin

Seldwyla - Sledwaya

The whole story is similar: a cat (or a Zamonian talking cat) sells his fat to a scary alchemist/wizard figure, which means he will die soon. Plot with a witch, whom the evil guy should marry etc.

Schrecksen are vrešče in Slovene and it works perfectly. Vešča = witch, vreščati = to scream; it makes you think of witches and some crazy, scared screaming.

That is the point with Sternenstauner, I would never have guessed it was a neologism, it sounds so like a real un-Zamonian word to me! It is beautiful. Contrary to what the Sternenstaners actually are, of course.

And I have to say the author (Mythenmetz) strikes me as a bit preachy. He tries to tell me everything is picturesque and idyllic and exemplary.

But as a descendant from people with a great despotic tradition, it´s my duty to warn those multicolored bears with their multicolored houses and their exemplary daily routine and their exemplary red uniforms and their exemplary circus artistic. Sounds like the dream of a dictator who got stung from a Dämonenbiene (demon bee). And I´m not ok with Mythenmetz implying I should admire this as picturesque!

And the "Brandwächterlied" (fire watchers song) makes me remember Palisadentrutz... Interesting.

<...>

Mythenmetz is actually the one who starts warning about the danger of taking things at face value and just admiring the idyll instead of thinking it over. He warns repeatedly that there is something fishy about the society of the bears: they are all too fomally organised, the sing a song like a military song, the security organisation is basically an army ... he wants to make you think about the dangers of such a totalitarian system. Of course this is an idyllical place, but for Mythenmetz all too orderly, so he starts thinking that it is like a military camp. I did not like this warnings the first time I read the book, but I actually see the point now. The bears are trying to cover up everything that is happening in the other parts of the city and that is why they set up such an order and have such strict rules in place. In that, Mythenmetz is correct - it cannot all be that beautifully idyllic, there is something bad behind it. All that the bears care about is presenting a picture of a beautiful, idyllic tourist place to the other parts of Zamonien. I just read the part with the mayor today. After E&K come back from the forest (or at least they think they do), the disaster that the mayor talks about is not that two kids were lost in a forest and were almost killed, but he immediately starts talking about how much money it will cost them because there will be loss of tourists in the next season. So basically, the bears just want to show Bauming as a tourist place and only care about how much money they can earn from it, while covering up the dangers and not really caring about the safety of the lost children.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just wrote a page-and-a-half long analysis of E&K at an exam. I am also doing it for another assignment.

And now I am on this thread, because I am obsessed.

Schrecksenmeister is not really supposed to be connected with dear old Golgo though, right? The whole story is a (hypertextual!) transformation of a novella by Gottfried Keller with the title Spiegel, das Kätzchen. I mean, I am not saying that there are no connections to Goethe in there, as there probably are. But the whole novel is based on this other story. I did not know that when I started reading it (I did not even know of this Keller's novella, and have since then only read parts - need to read the whole thing once), I read about it somewhere else, but I noticed some parallels already. The most obvious things that come to me now:

Pineiß - Eißpin

Seldwyla - Sledwaya

The whole story is similar: a cat (or a Zamonian talking cat) sells his fat to a scary alchemist/wizard figure, which means he will die soon. Plot with a witch, whom the evil guy should marry etc.

Schrecksen are vrešče in Slovene and it works perfectly. Vešča = witch, vreščati = to scream; it makes you think of witches and some crazy, scared screaming.

That is the point with Sternenstauner, I would never have guessed it was a neologism, it sounds so like a real un-Zamonian word to me! It is beautiful. Contrary to what the Sternenstaners actually are, of course.

Mythenmetz is actually the one who starts warning about the danger of taking things at face value and just admiring the idyll instead of thinking it over. He warns repeatedly that there is something fishy about the society of the bears: they are all too fomally organised, the sing a song like a military song, the security organisation is basically an army ... he wants to make you think about the dangers of such a totalitarian system. Of course this is an idyllical place, but for Mythenmetz all too orderly, so he starts thinking that it is like a military camp. I did not like this warnings the first time I read the book, but I actually see the point now. The bears are trying to cover up everything that is happening in the other parts of the city and that is why they set up such an order and have such strict rules in place. In that, Mythenmetz is correct - it cannot all be that beautifully idyllic, there is something bad behind it. All that the bears care about is presenting a picture of a beautiful, idyllic tourist place to the other parts of Zamonien. I just read the part with the mayor today. After E&K come back from the forest (or at least they think they do), the disaster that the mayor talks about is not that two kids were lost in a forest and were almost killed, but he immediately starts talking about how much money it will cost them because there will be loss of tourists in the next season. So basically, the bears just want to show Bauming as a tourist place and only care about how much money they can earn from it, while covering up the dangers and not really caring about the safety of the lost children.

I never read "Spiegel, das Kätzchen". I just tried to rationalize why it was called apprentice in english. I probably got in overthinking mode again ;).

The slovene translation is beautiful. It´s almost exactly the same thing :bowdown: .

So you´re the one to ask if the interpretations are right?

Sternenstauner... Yes this word is stunningly beautiful :wub: .

I have so many associations with it. But none of them have to do with pensioners...

:lol: And I love the selling children for champignon thing! :rofl:

My "review" wasn´t entirely serious. I thought that was clear. I probably should have said so...

The money-thing: The whole book strikes me as a comment on society as a whole. And quite specifically german society with it´s inclination towards obedience to authorities and orderliness (Obrigkeitshörigkeit, Ordnung muss sein,...). And with it´s inclination to the so called Krämerseele (merchants soul) which means: for a good economy and profit a true german would do everything. These are concepts that stuck with me from my school history lessons. And I believe, I see them in the book. But perhaps I´m misinterpreting...

The whole forest-thing:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutscher_Wald

He is even using the word Waldeinsamkeit: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldeinsamkeit

I think he knows of the implications...

The Sternenstauner and tourism-thing are really fitting well into this.

And Waldläufers Rast is obviously not meant for hippies but evokes some stark nazi/DDR-comparisons in context of the whole book. At least in my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fair enough about the over-interpretations, we all do that from time to time. ;) But the word apprentice still makes no sense to me in the title.



Which interpretations are correct? I am not sure what you are referring to here ...




Well, I certainly did not understand the whole thing as an allegory of the German society or whatever, but if you wish, I am sure it holds. I just think it is interesting how everything is so orderly in Bauming on one hand, and on the other hand, the forest is so wild and uncontrolled and you really cannot know what is actually happening in the book and what are hallucinations of the kids.



Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Next Zamonien-book delayed for an indefinite amount of time?

 

I am not sure if the post is serious because of the picture and because, well, Moers and Mythenmetz have their peculiar sense of humour, but most of the comments seem to think it is. Moers' site does not say anything about it (yet).

Well, I guess I have some more time to read Labyrinth now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...