Customer Reviews

Emil and the Detectives

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is a lot to like about this new edition of the classic story: the binding is handsome, the charming original illustrations are included, and the introduction by Maurice Sendak provides some historical perspective. The story itself is a terrific example (and perhaps the original) of the ever popular genre of children's literature in which kids, through their natural resourcefulness and wits, triumph over the bumbling adults.

However, I can't recommend this edition, for two reasons, both having to do with the text of the new translation. First, some of the proper names are "translated" into English, e.g., Emil Tischbein becomes Emil Tabletoe, the town of Neustadt becomes New Town, and so on, although most geographical locations and some characters' names remain in German. According to the translator, these lighthearted and absurdist names (Truegut, Groundsnow, Crumbagel) are true to the spirit of Kastner's original text. However, the effect -- particularly when mixed with proper German names -- is jarring. This misstep would have been forgivable, however, were it not for a worse problem: all of the children in the story speak in a jumble of late 20th/early 21st Century slang. The setting of the book, the illustrations, and the storyline all clearly belong to an earlier time, and the rest of the text is clean and straightforward, so having characters regularly spout lines like "Get outa here!", "You dork!", "Berlin parents are so cool!" is gratingly anachronistic. This may pose no problem for children who have grown up on modern animated films, where characters who are ostensibly Vikings may talk like California surfers, but for an adult reader with a sense of history it just doesn't work. The text doesn't benefit from this "modernization" any more than Little Women would be improved by having characters greet one another with "What's hanging, Dude?".

This book is an exciting and breathtaking adventure.I loved this book because the main character reminded me of me. It was one of the best books I ever read. There were character descriptions under every picture. This helped me to see what the characters looked like and helped me keep them straight in the story. I felt like Emil was a one of a kind character. I never read any books with a character like him. He was really smart the way he solved the myster.The professor was also a really good character. He really acted like a professor even though he was a kid. I reccomend this book to any kids who like adventures!

I always avoided "Emil & the Detectives" when I was a kid because I thought it would be scary. I finally read it in my twenties, and kicked myself for missing it before. The story and characters are completely engaging, and the writing style is so humorous. May Massee's translation is a bit dated in regard to slang--it was done in the twenties--but she captures a wonderfully droll sensibility that I hope really exists in the German original. I am so mad that this book is out of print, because I want to buy it for my little cousin, who's a big Harry Potter fan, and I know would love this book too. If you can, try and find a version that has Kastner's hilarious introduction, in which he discusses the difficulty of finding a good idea for a story, even when you're lying on the floor under the dining room table.

I have adored Kasner's books but I found this translation not as vibrant as the older versions. If you want a more authentic copy search for used books.

This story tells of a young boy who lives with his hairdresser mother and one day takes the train to visit his grandmother in Berlin. It was a short train ride, but Emil loses the money he had to give his grandmother, or rather, it was stolen. In Berlin, a gang of boys, with great organization and leadership skills, helps him recover the money. There is anticipation, anxiety, anger, excitement, and laughter in the narrative, not only for the young reader but for the adult as well. Emil's thoughtfulness towards his mother tops off the happy ending to the adventure.

I read this book to my 7-year old grandson, who enjoyed it immensely.

This is a vintage kids' book that delivers the goods: mystery, intrigue, hallucination (dream) descriptions (was that chocolate bar spiked?), chase scenes, double-entendre character names, an interesting plot, likeable characters, and a John Grisham hero-gets-the-big-bucks type ending. A classic which I read and re-read as a child, this is a book to introduce kids to the detective novel genre, and it has stood up well to the passage of time. I recently purchased a copy for sentimental reasons, and guess what - I read it, and re-read it again (and again). There is a moralistic foundation to the story, but the good guys are just mischievous enough to be fun to be around, and the story is a great story, even if a little far-fetched to be believable. But it's totally believable if you use your imagination, and that's the fun of it!

Emil and the Detectives is a sweet, witty, well written children's book. Great for adults, too.

What a sweet kid.

JGR

I have read and enjoyed this book as a child and wanted my son to enjoy it too.
The translation is good and the illustrations minimal, but funny. Erich Kaestner's happy inner child is as fresh as ever. The book's setting is pre-war Berlin and the city plays a big role in the story.
My son was a bit impatient when I started reading it aloud to him. It is probably better for kids slightly older than seven.
The book is compact and light, with good binding and a dust-jacket.

I don't remember much about this book, except that it was brilliant when I read it, over and over, almost 40 years ago. Now, I bought it for my 6-year-old daughter who inhaled it. She was critical of it, though. "Too many boys in this book."

ISBN 1585675865, ISBN 0582426995, ISBN 0099413124, ISBN 0760706387, ISBN 0590405713, ASIN B000NPWQG8, ASIN B000L2NWZM, ASIN B000SICR8C, ASIN B000T7OFWS, ISBN 058244831X, ASIN B000IR1M7A, ASIN B001CHOGC8, ASIN B0007FDV3G, ASIN B0014CAK26, ISBN 0582541530, ISBN 0140301267, ASIN B000S5NIE2, ASIN B000HHXHVK, ASIN B000S9KNUA, ASIN B000J5NVD4, ASIN B001B3U6Y0, ASIN B0000CKAE8, ASIN B001N22EG2, ASIN B000KHU4VS, ISBN 0590334344, ISBN 1856931455, ASIN B000GOI3NQ, ASIN B0016P9694, ASIN B0000CP6D9, ASIN B000KKAMGM, ISBN 0174432208, ISBN 071351941X, ASIN B000H0PKNK, ASIN B001J5XI5O, ISBN 0573050082, ASIN B000KRZ2ME, ASIN B000NPLTT8, ASIN B001GUZUBC, ASIN B000J16W52, ISBN 0590405713 (as you can see, Amazon's got a bit of house-cleaning to do with merging the duplicate listings)

- Emil is going on the train to visit relatives in Berlin. His mother puts an envelope of money in his care, to deliver along with some flowers when he arrives. Things go wrong when he dozes off, only to awaken and discover that his car-mate and his money are gone. Determined to get his money back, Emil stumbles upon a group of boys in Berlin who quickly organize to capture the thief.

Hardly dated at all, this is a light, fun story. The author had some fun with naming characters, which are listed in the beginning of the book. Kids will enjoy Emil's and the detectives' triumph over the thief. A great read for boys, in particular, if only because there aren't enough books out there for boys! The edition I've read for this review is translated by May Massee.

- AnnaLovesBooks