Never-Ending Story: the book.

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Has anyone here read it? I used to love it as a kid. The story itself was quite touching and poignant, and I loved the illustrations (by the author, I think). I still might have it in my bookshelf, I could consider rereading it again.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

my favourite book EVER as a kid, and when i read it again in my early '20s it still held up--maybe even more, actually. there was a lot of depth to it that i had really gleamed when i read 2329839 times as a kid. fantastic book.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Jeez, how many pages does that book hold?

/ha, maybe that joke is getting faded.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I read it quite recently. I found it much less frightening than the film - which absolutely terrified me when I was small - and also much more "fairy-tale" in its sensibilities.

(yes, I know I shouldn't describe a book just by comparing it to the film of the book; but I couldn't help comparing everything in at least the filmed part of the book to the equivalent scenes. I think the film had been lurking in my mind rather more than it should have, because of the nightmares it gave me.)

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I read it several times as a kid as well, and once more when I was nineteen. The whole story about the kid (he was called Bastian, right) and his absent father was quite moving, and not just for children.

The film was OK, I guess, but it ended in the middle of the book! The most important - and the saddest - parts were left out.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:18 (twenty-one years ago)

The film of course has a notable gay subtext (or I think so) - is the same true of the book?

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah! def'ly the film left out the good stuff.

still i had a vhs dub of the movie which i watched about 3823298 times.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

it's fair to say i "related" to bastian balthazar bux.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes; the main reason I picked up the book when I saw it in the library was that I'd heard that the film only covered the first half of it, and I was intrigued as to What Happened Next.

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, me too. Were you geekish bookworm as well?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post)

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

hell yeah i was!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:22 (twenty-one years ago)

If I remember correctly, there was sequel film made later on which kinda covered the last half, though it left a lot out too.

Slocki, did you ever read "Momo" by the same author? It's over ten years since I read that one, but I remember it being a very good book as well.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Great book but I've only read it the once. Still around in my parents' collection, should give it a reread.

But the book is now forever associated with...

http://www.limahl.co.uk/pics/discog/NES.gif

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I did hear there was a second film, but would never watch it as the first was so terrifying.

(seriously, Scariest Film Ever! Apart from possibly Watership Down.)

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoa, what's that Ned?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:28 (twenty-one years ago)

there was a SEQUEL?? oh yeah, i saw that! holy shit, that was bad. not a continuation but like a new NES (hmm, that acronym) adventure.

i think i started momo but didn't finish it.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:29 (twenty-one years ago)

the song definitely still appears in my mental jukebox.

(that guy looks like johnny depp crossed with val kilmer!)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The second film was a bit more comic, I think.

By the way, does the American print of the book use the two different text colours as well?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoa, what's that Ned?

The cover of the single that was on the official soundtrack (you hear it over the opening and closing credits).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

no! it uses italics and regular font. wow, that's cool!

it's got the illustrated first letter of each chapter thing going on though.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

In the Finnish print the text that takes place in the "real" world is in green and the text in the "fantasy" world in red. The pictures are in red and green too. It's really a beautiful book in the material sense as well.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Hm, that's the case in my edition (the coloring that is).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

huh! is yours hardcover ned?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I should reread Momo as well, if I remember correctly it was somewhat sadder and more down to earth than NES.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

huh! is yours hardcover ned?

Yup, red hardcover.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:42 (twenty-one years ago)

i've never seen that edition!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Everyone loves that Limahl song, but it's one of things you just. don't. talk. about.

― Kim (Kim), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:27 (twenty-one years ago)

God, this was really good!

― Remy (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 02:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Who wrote it? I think I'll buy this at the weekend.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 05:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Michael Ende

― A Million Talking Hot Dogs (AaronHz), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 05:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Brilliant, brilliant book.

I can't say much lest I spoil it for people who saw the US film, but the ending is not a Hollywood ending.

― Core of Sphagnum (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I never read it either, though I saw the movie a bajillion times. I think I'll spring for the hardcover with two-tone text. Should probably get the Princess Bride book while I'm at it. How does that compare to the movie (which I also saw a bajillion times)?

― A Million Talking Hot Dogs (AaronHz), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 05:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember being really disturbed by the part with the isinglass. And when Bastian and Atreyu do that thing on the tower with the blood and stuff.

― Remy (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 05:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Great, I look forward to reading this.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 05:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I definitely preferred the Princess Bride book to the movie - once you've read the book, a lot of the movie seems very heavily compressed.

(although in that case I think the book was written after the film script, but before the film was actually made)

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 06:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I do remember the book being an incredibly beautiful object, with the different coloured text and all. I think I endowed it with vaguely magical powers. Whereas the film, well, let's face it Bastian was just highly twee and annoying.

The Princess Bride book works on a hell of a lot more levels than the film. It's also just funnier.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 07:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes. There's more satirical fannydangle and mucking around with fact and fiction as well. I like the country that Goldman invented, and that whole bit with Stephen K!ng supposedly having ancestry from there. Haha Florin and Guilder, do you see?

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 07:51 (twenty-one years ago)

On the other hand, the film DOES have Peter Falk. And Carey Elwes in that undeniably rowrrr outfit with the mask.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 07:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I do remember the book being an incredibly beautiful object, with the different coloured text and all. I think I endowed it with vaguely magical powers.

I guess part of the allure of the book is that in it Bastian, (who clearly lives in the "real" world) is also reading a book called "The Neverending Story" (which even looks the same as Ende's book), and gets sucked inside the book; many of those who read "The Neverending Story" as a kid must've thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if that happened to me too, with this book?". At least I did. So Ende's play between fantasy and reality is really quite effective, and works on many levels.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 07:58 (twenty-one years ago)

And an adult reader might think, "well, he didn't really get sucked inside the book, he just imagined the whole thing". But would it really matter if it was imagined or not? I guess not, because what happens in the end still happens. So, in a way, "The Neverending Story" is also about the importance of fiction and fantasy on people's lives.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, totally. It was quite a headfuck, it a really good way.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 08:03 (twenty-one years ago)

On the other hand, the [Princess Bride] film DOES have Peter Falk. And Carey Elwes in that undeniably rowrrr outfit with the mask.

And Mel Smith and Peter Cook!

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:42 (twenty-one years ago)

There are three Never Ending Story films, they get progressively worse and the third one is unwatchable.

My youngest son fears the wolf and the rockbiter in the first film, he hasn't yet realised how crap the wolf is.

The film of course has a notable gay subtext
Did it? Could you elaborate?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:52 (twenty-one years ago)

> it's got the illustrated first letter of each chapter thing
> going on though.

illustrated AND in alphabetical order (although i only realised this when i was about halfway though)

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:53 (twenty-one years ago)

The part which really terrified me, gave me nightmares, etc, was the bit where the horse sinks into the swamp.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)

God yes.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The film of course has a notable gay subtext
Did it? Could you elaborate?

ken c is in the background in one scene, holding up a sign which says "UR ALL GHEY". That did it for me.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:13 (twenty-one years ago)

There was a THIRD Neverending Story movie. It had Jack Black in it, playing a bully. It was totally fucking ass.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:46 (twenty-one years ago)

N.E.S. pt. 2, the movie, is one of the worst films I have ever seen. I have not seen N.E.S. pt. 3.

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 13:29 (twenty-one years ago)

not only fiction, but creativity--viz. the importance of naming things

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

i read it in 6th grade - library hardcover copy. the book itself was amazing - beautiful artwork, and the real life/fairy tale parts were in red and green ink (i think, maybe i'm making this up, but one was colored at least). the paperback version i have now is not as nice, no color, but its in italics.

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 21 October 2004 03:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Ooooh, I LOVED both Momo and Neverending Story! I read the book long before I saw the movie. I must have read both those books 50 times each, at least. I found Momo even stranger and more scary in an eerie way. One of the greatest children's books ever written!

When I read the bits about the nothingness (or whatever it's called in English) in Neverending Story I always imagined it to be like the migraine auras I had.

― Hanna (Hanna), Thursday, 21 October 2004 06:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, that's interesting. The nothingness thing was pretty griping. And yeah, Momo was even scarier than The Neverending Story. Didn't it have guys in grey suits who stole people's time, rolled it into cigars ans smoked it?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 21 October 2004 06:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, yes, those suit men were VERY scary in an interesting way. I feared them, yet somehow sort of wanted them to appear behind corners and in shrubs... I remember a really gripping sense of loneliness in that book as well. Don't really remember the story that well, but there was something really really sad about Momo and her life.

― Hanna (Hanna), Thursday, 21 October 2004 06:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, that's how I remember it too. Now I *must* reread it, I think I'll go to the library today.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 21 October 2004 06:44 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe i'll see if i can dig out my copy...

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 21 October 2004 13:14 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

The first film is on HBO Family right now, yay!

― Aaron Hertz (AaronHz), Monday, 10 January 2005 22:49 (twenty years ago)

he hasn't yet realised how crap the wolf is

http://www.doortofantasia.com/art/images/gmork.jpg

― martin m. (mushrush), Monday, 10 January 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

"We're allergic to youth."
...is the bit it's at right now. The horse is already dead, etc.

― Aaron Hertz (AaronHz), Monday, 10 January 2005 23:00 (twenty years ago)

So, I never read the book, but I saw the [first] film many many times as a kid. To this day I still wonder what the fuck Bastian's mother's name was. Cause he called it out at the end ("Bastian... Caaalllll my name," she had whined unconvincingly) but it was completely unintelligible.

xpost ----

Awesome: "We don't even care whether or not we care."

― martin m. (mushrush), Monday, 10 January 2005 23:03 (twenty years ago)

OMG the luck dragon looks like a Teddy Ruxpin doll now. It used to look so rad...

The Name: MOONCHILD

― Aaron Hertz (AaronHz), Monday, 10 January 2005 23:07 (twenty years ago)

I AM WATCHING TEH NEVERENDING STORY

― Aaron Hertz (AaronHz), Thursday, 13 January 2005 23:22 (twenty years ago)

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