Customer Reviews

Emil and the Detectives (Penguin Readers, Level 3)

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4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was shocked when I received the Penguin-version: It contained 51 pages, when the original is 224 pages! It takes place in England!!!

I had ordered this book for my grand-daughter, as I am a Berliner and wanted her to discover a part of her literary heritage, but this version is "RETOLD" and has absolutely nothing in common with the original! Don't buy it. Instead consider the Hard-cover version, that will be released in April 2006.

I wish that Amazon.com would have taken the time to point out these facts under the descriptions.

Imagine my disappointment after searching for this book to discover it's merely a summarized version like a Cliff Notes for a child. I suppose in Amazon's mind there is nothing misleading about the way they describe the book. Anyway, spend $2.00 for a used hardback of the full book instead this glorified comic book.

I first read this book as a child, and loved it then. Decades later, I found an ancient copy in my library's annual sale of books they no longer wanted to keep. As an adult, I like it still. The story moves quickly, the characters are engaging, and there's a flavor of Berlin at a more innocent time in the 1920s. Emil takes a train trip to visit relatives in Berlin. When the money he is carrying is stolen, he resolves to catch the thief.