Puddle Jumper
04-03-2006, 06:12 AM
I just finished reading this book the other day. Has anyone else read it? It's a childrens or young readers book.
I'm one who loved the movie since I was a child so reading the book took on a whole new experience for me in just how different it was. The first movie was based on the first half of the book, which I thought did pretty good overall. The second movie was supposedly based on the second half of the book but man were they way off. I couldn't stand the second movie anyway.
The author, Michael Ende, had a wonderful and vivid imagination. All throughout the book I was dazzled by his imagination. I was bummed that Bastian could only see the Childlike Empress once in his life but Mr. Korreander's words to him at the very end made it much more cheerful.
It is certainly interesting to compare the book to the movies. And the book confirms that the name Bastian cried out to give the Childlike Empress a new name was Moon Child. I liked his meeting with her better in the movie, but in the book it was totally different since it wasn't the end of the story but only the middle. Bastian refused to come to Fantasia (or Fantastica as the book calls it) so the Childlike Empress went to the author of the Neverending Story and made him read what he had written over and over again which Bastian could not escape from until he finally decided to come. There he transformed from a plump little boy into a tall, slender, strong hero who began his many adventures.
In the second movie Xayide was in responsible for Bastian losing his memory with every wish. In the book she had such a small part, very small part, and was in no control over Bastian's memories. That part of the story I found a bit confusing until I understood that it was part of one of the stories morals.
I think children's literature always has some moral to the story. That may be part of what makes it children's literature. I saw these as the morals to The Neverending Story...
1. You should read more books.
2. You should be happy with who you are no matter what you look like.
I did find Bastian's dad's acceptance of Bastian's tale at the very end a bit unbelievable though. Unlike in the movie, he wasn't reading about Bastian's adventures in the Neverending Story.
I'm one who loved the movie since I was a child so reading the book took on a whole new experience for me in just how different it was. The first movie was based on the first half of the book, which I thought did pretty good overall. The second movie was supposedly based on the second half of the book but man were they way off. I couldn't stand the second movie anyway.
The author, Michael Ende, had a wonderful and vivid imagination. All throughout the book I was dazzled by his imagination. I was bummed that Bastian could only see the Childlike Empress once in his life but Mr. Korreander's words to him at the very end made it much more cheerful.
It is certainly interesting to compare the book to the movies. And the book confirms that the name Bastian cried out to give the Childlike Empress a new name was Moon Child. I liked his meeting with her better in the movie, but in the book it was totally different since it wasn't the end of the story but only the middle. Bastian refused to come to Fantasia (or Fantastica as the book calls it) so the Childlike Empress went to the author of the Neverending Story and made him read what he had written over and over again which Bastian could not escape from until he finally decided to come. There he transformed from a plump little boy into a tall, slender, strong hero who began his many adventures.
In the second movie Xayide was in responsible for Bastian losing his memory with every wish. In the book she had such a small part, very small part, and was in no control over Bastian's memories. That part of the story I found a bit confusing until I understood that it was part of one of the stories morals.
I think children's literature always has some moral to the story. That may be part of what makes it children's literature. I saw these as the morals to The Neverending Story...
1. You should read more books.
2. You should be happy with who you are no matter what you look like.
I did find Bastian's dad's acceptance of Bastian's tale at the very end a bit unbelievable though. Unlike in the movie, he wasn't reading about Bastian's adventures in the Neverending Story.