The Night of Wishes [Paperback]

Michael Ende (Author), Regina Kehn (Illustrator), Heike Schwarzbauer (Translator), Rick Takvorian (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 1995 | Age Level: 9 and up

The sorcerer Beelzebub Preposteror and his witchy aunt must complete their annual quota of evil deeds before midnight. But a small cat and a raven are waiting to foil their plans and save the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW dubbed this "a potent dose of comic fantasy, bubbling over with clever wordplay and slapstick incidents, and spiked with verse." Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A comic adventure spiced with rambunctious wordplay. . .Clever and highly imaginative."-Pointer, Kirkus Reviews

"Refreshing and irreverent and silly." --The New York Times Book Review

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (April 17, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374455031
• ISBN-13: 978-0374455033
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #691,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastically Twisted!, October 20, 2002

By 

"grograman" (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Night of Wishes (Paperback)

I love this story both for its uniqueness and darkness. Everything about it is infinitely creative and original, from the thumb-striking clock that marks the passage of time with an "ouch" instead of the same old "cuckoo," to the fantastically twisted characters. However, this is not really a book for children. I think it is best read by teens and adults, (or mature younger readers!) The story involves two wicked individuals working for the Devil Himself to destroy the world. There is still hope though, in two raggedy animals who have just one night to foil their masters' plans! For an extra fun experience, I suggest you read this book in real time. It takes place in the course of that single evening, and there is even a clock every few pages to let you know how much time remains! If you crave dark stuff, or just enjoy really original stories, you'll fall in love with THE NIGHT OF WISHES!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book - but read the original!, October 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Night of Wishes (Paperback)

This is my favorite book since I've read it 5 years ago. The cat (a little dumb) und the always so pessimistic raven are well worked-out caracters and I really love them. Sometimes I wonder how Mr. Ende managed to invent all those words to describe the ingredients of the notion potion. Beeing German I know both versions - the German original and the English translation, which sometimes does not manage to give all the brilliant word-inventions an equal English meaning. So if you understand some German - buy both versions and you'll enjoy Michael Endes magic.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fiction is a mirror into reality. Great Book!!!, August 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Night of Wishes (Turtleback)

The heart knows more than the mind can ever know alone. Michael Ende takes many turns and twists by bringing the wisdom of many animals together to stop the destruction of the nature of evolution. Notice that the animals always meet by the church but never in it. Notice, in the end when the day has been saved, that the animals each go back to their natural world. There are many subtleties in this book about how when evil tries to control nature and the unlikely forces that must take on the messy job of making things right. It is not inside the church where common sense tells you that things are made right, but outside.