lb_lee: A happy little brain with a bandage on it, enclosed within a circle with the words LB Lee. (Default)
lb_lee ([personal profile] lb_lee) wrote in [community profile] pluralstories2022-09-20 07:56 pm

The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende (fantasy prose, 1979)

"There are people who can never go to Fantastica, and others who can, but who stay there forever. And there are just a few who go to Fantastica and come back. Like you. And they make both worlds well again."

Blurb: A strange book draws a lonely boy named Bastian into the beautiful but doomed world of Fantastica. Only a human can save this enchanted place--by giving its ruler, the Childlike Empress, a new name. But the journey to her tower leads through lands of dragons, giants, monsters, and magic--and once Bastian begins his quest, he may never return. As he is drawn deeper into Fantastica, he must find the courage to face unspeakable foes and the mysteries of his own heart.

Why is it worth your time?: This book was a hit for a long time, and it's not hard to see why. It's a love letter to the power of the imagination, wishes, and story, a mythical fable of exploring the self and desire. Fantastica follows its own rules of reality and does not try to be like the "real" world. It's good, and probably the most famous thing on this catalog.

Plural Tags: fictioneers, otherworld,

Content Warnings: contain spoilers; see comments

Access Notes: Available in ebook, audiobook, and dead tree forms, in many languages (including Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, French, Dutch, and Swedish), and an easy library find. The book has also been adapted into movies, radio, and animation, none of which I have seen. Ah, the benefits of an extremely popular bestselling book! Personally, I think the editions with different colored text are best, as long as you aren't colorblind; the text color helps keep you oriented.

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