Customer Reviews

City of Dreaming Books

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After reading the first few pages, I fully intended to give this book a poor rating. The audacity, to write a book about excellent writing, without Moers writing also being of highest caliber. How presumptuous, how arrogant. The writing was merely poorly crafted children's fare, perhaps excusable only because the book is translated. It had an interesting, wonderful idea, of pursuing a world based on reading and books, but it would have been far more interesting and relatable if it had been about humans, rather than this silly dinosaur.

I repent. Most completely. I was wrong in every way. This is one of the finest fantasy novels I've ever read. Moers actually takes a talking dinosaur and makes him interesting and a complete character, to say nothing of the other species and humans in this world. Moers doesn't rely on creatures others have constructed, but in every step forms his own creations.

The character development in this novel is astounding, and so much deeper than what you find in most modern novels. This is a novel for adults with depth (and definitely not for children). It is not only extraordinarily well written throughout, but I now see those first few pages were exactly the right build-up, and the old-fashioned style (Dear Reader) fit exactly the theme and points Moers wanted to convey.

I was supposed to do a lot of other tasks, and read other books. I couldn't stop reading this one. To say the unexpected happened is to say far too little, for Moers grabbed me by the collar and pulled me along his story so that I was continuously out of breath and at wit's end trying to guess what would happen next. Every word in this is honed. I am only sorry that it took me a while to realize that most names were purposeful, and often anagrams of actual writers. It takes true brilliance to create an engaging story that is at the same moment a profound commentary on the modern literature industry.

City of Dreaming Books is a multifaceted universe like nothing else you've ever read. There is no comparison. It is a book created for those of us who love books. It is the book that you have been waiting for. It is the last book you need to read- or the last book you'll read purely for itself, for, in every book you read after this, there will be the memory of the perfection you once found here.

I have read Moers fantastic story about the city of dreaming books in German and I loved it.
It is a wonderful, fantastic tale about a young writer that goes to the city of dreaming books and his adventures. Whoever loves books will find parallels to many experiences had while reading, masterfully integrated into the narration. Moreover it is very diverting and thrilling but nonetheless full of wit and subtle hints to the whole cosmos of Literature.
In my opinion: a masterpiece that every book lover should have read.
I got it as a Xmas present for my Dad who loathes fantasy and any kind of story not situated on this earth and even he loved it.

This is the first book I've read by Mr. Moers and promptly after starting it I purchased the others. I am almost finished with it and have loved every page. I am a passionate book lover so this holds extra appeal for me. But it is also a great fantasy creation which is my favorite genre. His prose is brilliant and has quite an old-world charm to it. And his artwork is stunning. In short, this is one of my top ten for 2007 thus far. Be prepared, it is very unusual, even for fantasy lovers. But an extremely rare example of one man's awesome imagination and quite beyond mainstream fantasy. Oopie, it's dark down here but you will quite enjoy the descent...

Walter Moers, though famous in Germany, is just beginning to gain a following in the U.S. The recent publication of his books "The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear," "A Wild Ride Through the Night" and "Rumo" have introduced the English-speaking world to his imagination. His latest book, "The City of Dreaming Books," again shows us the whimsical world of Zamonia.

The story begins in Lindworm Castle (which was featured in Rumo), where Optimus Yarnspinner sits at the deathbed of his authorial godfather, Dancelot Wordwright. Wordwright gives him a manuscript, which he claims to be the greatest piece of writing ever. (It's about writer's block) Wordwright's dying wish for Yarnspinner is for him to become a writer. After reading the manuscript, however, he is so overtaken with ecstacy that he feels he has to go to the City of Dreaming Books to find the author of the manuscript. To make a long story short, Yarnspinner meets the shark grub Pfistomel Smyke (possibly a relation to Volzotan Smyke from "Bluebear" and "Rumo"), who claims to know the author and be able to track him down. Unfortunately, Smyke is not as benevolent as he seems; he poisons Yarnspinner with a book (yes, a book), and treacherously maroons him in the city's labyrinthine catacombs. Yarnspinner's only hope of getting out is to find the elusive Copohnius Regenshein, the famous bookhunter. Along the way, he must watch out for bookhunters, harpies, the fearsome booklings, and the legendary Shadow King.

In Moers' Zamonian world, anything can happen. For example, there are the animatomes (living books), hazardous books (with poison or booby traps in them), and bookhunters (unscrupulous bounty hunters who go searching for the most rare books, and will do anything to get them). Moers' tale is whimsical, imaginative, and eminently readable. Fans of his previous works will enjoy it, as will fantasy fans in general.

No characters from the other two Zamonian novels show up, though many of the locations do (Lindworm, for instance), as do some of the species. For example, Professor Nightingale is referenced once but does not make an appearence. A Nocturnomath (Nightingale's species) does play a key role at the beginning, however.

There were only a couple of things I didn't like about it. First, there are not nearly enough of Moers' delightful illustrations. (There's only one of the main character, Optimus Yarnspinner). There are more illustrations than there were in "Rumo," but not as many as there were in "Bluebear." The illustrations are what really bring the book to life. Second, I thought that the middle sections, when Yarnspinner is wandering around in the Bookholm catacombs, drag on a bit much and are very wordy. With that said, I would recommend this to any fan of lighthearted fantasy/science fiction.

There is no author quite as quirky and off-beat as German author, Walter Moers. With his demented imagination, weird plot twists and wild, crazy characters in even wilder, weirder situations, one cannot help but wonder what sort of strange substance he is sampling. "City..." continues on in the wonderfully weird world of Zamonia. A world quite unlike any you have ever ventured into before. With his twisted philosiphies, demented creatures and appealing characters, his stories will surprise and delight.

The protagonist in this novel is a young (a mere 70 years old) saurian called Optimus Yarnspinner. Upon his beloved Authorial Godfather's deathbed, he inherits an unpublished manuscript. A manuscript so profound, so engrossing that once one has read it, a writer will never wish to write again. So off goes our young hero, into the wild world to hunt for this anonymous author. To the City of Dreaming Books he makes his way - a bibliophile's utopia, and there he is tricked and trapped into the terrible and twisted catacomb of libraries. Here, in this maze of passages and tunnels, creatures more terrifying than your worst nightmare lurk. Here reading a book is genuinely dangerous, and ruthless bookhunters fight to the death for literary gems. Here, in the realm of the terribly mysterious Shadow King our intrepid writer finds himself.

A real stand out novel, this would have to make it into my top #5 for 2007. It is a must-read for all you fantasy geeks with a love of libraries. And it would make an excellent role-playing adventure too! (Don't tempt me...)

In the fantastical world of Zamonia, Otimus Yarnspinner inherits an unpublished manuscript from his authorial godfather, Dancelot Wordwright. After reading the manuscript, Optimus Yarnspinner sets out from Lindworm Castle to find the author of the manuscript in Bookholm, the City of Dreaming Books. Bookholm is the perfect city for a reader and aspiring author: it is full of books, agents and critics for hire. Alas, there is a darker side to this city and Yarnspinner becomes aware of this as he searches for the missing author.

In the world created by Mr Moers, anything can happen (and frequently does). Imagine a world populated by cold-blooded book hunters, cyclopean booklings, and the legendary Shadow King. Some books are hazardous (poisonous or booby-trapped) and the animotomes are sharp-toothed living books.

Will Optimus Yarnspinner survive his journey? Will he find the mysterious author? The journey is fantastic in every sense.
The delightful drawings by Mr Moers (the cover is what attracted me in the first place) supplemented my imagination as I read about the adventures of Yarnspinner. Add to the mix authors (whose names just happen to be anagrams of authors whose names we might recognise in our world) and this story can entertain a range of different readers.

This is the fourth book in the Zamonia series and as I picked it up entirely by chance I now have three other books to read when the time is right. If you enjoy fantasy, you may enjoy this rich world.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

It is with considerable trepidation that I must report to you, Dear Reader, on a subject of considerable interest to us both. One in which I must take the less fortunate role of literary critic and you the enviable position of connoisseur of exquisite literature. A great master of the quill has returned from the deepest catacombs of Zamonia to write of his miserable and horrid adventures beneath the city of Bookholm, the so called "City of Dreaming Books". A word of warning comes early, proceed if you dare.

In this epic tale, we, both reader and writer, are beckoned into the pages of a world filled with the depravities of society's addictions. We will recognize the city for its many coffee shops, its diversity of culture, and of course, its book stores which are too numerous to count. We will not recognize the mysterious forces pushing us forward, pushing us to turn each page, as we ourselves join in a grand quest to discover the city's greatest addiction. We will not recognize the deepest and darkest of the catacombs we will encounter as we consume the drug in its purest form--its written form, until it is too late. It is the drug of William Shakespeare, of Leo Tolstoy, of Herman Melville, and, of course, Edgar Allan Poe. We are powerless in its grip.

Our narrator also finds us ill equipped for a journey that spans centuries of writing including most genres with a sprinkle of the fantastical, the subterranean, and the extra-terrestrial as well. Our master teaches us the most difficult tricks of the literary craft as well as the more human tricks of treachery and deceit. Our skin will crawl as we venture deeper into the blackest and most gruesome areas of our mind, searching for the words to describe our fear, but which the master has already defined for us so well. We feel our hearts race as we whip endlessly on a rollercoaster though a labyrinth of time, searching for a way out, and a meaning behind it all. In a place where books dream, shadows cry, and the most frightening of creatures become our friends we learn how to channel the mysterious energy within us. Will we fight through this darkness until we find our own energy to climb back towards the civilization of great literature, or will we be hurled endlessly back into the abyss of despair and crappy writing? This, oddly, is where our story begins.

Walter Moers has created a tremendous fantasyland for all book lovers to call home, Bookholm, "The City of Dreaming Books". Read this story, you will not be disappointed, and you will become a better writer.

This is literally the most delightful book I've ever read. I laughed out loud too many times to count. The illustrations add a great deal to the story, too. This is the best book about books, writing, reading, the creative process, the wonder of the imagination, and the thrill of adventure. So full of wit and whimsy, it's like nothing else I've ever read (and I read TONS of fantasy, scifi, and historical novels). The beings who populate the book, as weird and unusual and varied as they are, manage to stand out as individuals with real character too. Moers has a voice that's truly unique in the literary field. I can't wait to read more of his stories.

going into the book I had high expectations from reading the 13.5 lives of captain bluebear (which I have placed on my top 25 books of all time list) and I was completely blown away by the mastery with which Moers tackles this story, where Bluebear can get a bit slow at times The City of Dreaming Books flows beautifully, I had the hardest time trying to get anything done while I was reading this book, honestly I love it and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story with engaging characters (which I hope is everyone). I could never do this book justice in a review so I'll just leave it at this...buy it! read it! I promise you wont regret it.

Fantastic book. Beautiful language. Original. Not only is it a work of astounding imagination and sparkling whimsy, but it's also a scathing satire on all things literary. Full of the darkest sort of humor, no one is spared -- not writers, critics, editors, agents, booksellers, or readers. As a writer myself, I found it hilarious, poignant, uplifting and humbling, all at once. It's also a rollicking good tale!