One author I'm always surprised to see not many people talking about regularly is comic fantasist extraordinaire Walter Moers. His continent of Zamonia is one of the most wondrous places we could ever visit. In his homeland of Germany Moers is one of the biggest authors. Very much the German Terry Pratchett although most would agree Moers is much crazier then Pratchett.
When I heard about a new Zamonia book called The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books coming out last year in Germany I've been waiting on news of an English translation, which we finally have. This book seems to be a sequel of sorts to the third and probably my favorite Zamonia novel, The City of Dreaming Books. In fact the cover above is just the same art from City so I expect some sort of change for the final. Here is the blurb:
It has been more than two hundred years since Bookholm was destroyed by a devastating fire, as told in Moers's The City of Dreaming Books. Hildegunst von Mythenmetz, hailed as Zamonia's greatest writer, is on vacation in Lindworm Castle when a disturbing message reaches him, and he must return to Bookholm to investigate a mystery. The magnificently rebuilt city has once again become a metropolis of storytelling and the book trade. Mythenmetz encounters old friends and new denizens of the city—and the shadowy “Invisible Theater.” Astonishingly inventive, amusing, and engrossing, this is a captivating story from the wild imagination of Walter Moers.The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books will be released in November from Overlook in the US and Harvill Secker in the UK.
To start your journey into the world of Zamonia I'd recommend reading the first in the series, The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Blue Bear to enmesh yourself properly and from there you can go to any of the other novels, even The City of Dreaming Books. If you like the idea of Minipirates, Nocturnomath's with multiple brains, sentient books, a meek dinosaur society of book lovers, literary anagrams galore, and just plain craziness you're missing out sorely if you don't give Moers a chance.
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I have read everything I can get my hands on by Walter Moers and I cannot wait to pick up the newsest book "Labyrinth of Dreaming Books". To prepare for it I have started re-reading "City of Dreming Books". I love Zamonia and i reccommend Moers books to anyone and everyone. Great way to get the children in my life to read a book withme. Great conversaion starters.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is still Blue Bear! You might want to check out the interview I did with the translator of the Zamonia books.
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