Told partly in rhyme, this account of the adventures of sorcerer Beelzebub Preposteror introduces a host of unusual and compelling characters. By the author of The Neverending Story.
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From Publishers Weekly
On New Year's Eve, Maledictus Maggot, bailiff to His Excellency the Minister of Pitch Darkness, arrives in the laboratory of Shadow Sorcery Minister Beelzebub Preposteror, to remind Beelzebub that he is behind on his contract to wreak havoc on the world, and that if he does not make good before midnight, His Hellish Excellency will "foreclose." In order to avoid this fearsome fate Beelzebub, together with his aunt, Tyrannia Vampirella (who has also been threatened with "foreclosure"), set out to brew the eponymous Notion Potion, a powerful punch that will grant them their every wish. Meanwhile, Beelzebub's cat Mauricio and Tyrannia's raven Jacob get wise to the plot,stet comma/eed and launch a desperate quest to stop their masters and thereby save the world. Ende ( The Neverending Story ) has brewed a potent dose of comic fantasy, bubbling over with clever wordplay and slapstick incidents, and spiked with verse. Although the prose (or perhaps the translation from the German) is not always graceful nor idiomatic, sheer momentum and the raw power of Ende's inventiveness are sufficient to carry readers all the way through this extravaganza. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-- Poor Beelzebub Preposteror. It's New Year's Eve and despite being an ``up-to-date, state-of-the-art sorcerer,'' he has fallen woefully behind in fulfilling the terms of his contract with his Excellency, Satan. The Minister of Pitch Darkness has granted Preposteror ``extraordinary powers'' on the condition that the magician annually render extinct 10 species of animals, pollute 5 rivers, kill 10,000 trees, and generally visit mayhem on Mother Nature. Unless Preposterer meets his quota by midnight, Beelzebub's bailiff, a creature as unpleasant as its name, Malidictus Maggot, is threatening to foreclose. Preposterer has no choice but to join forces (reluctantly) with his aunt, a wicked witch named Tyrannia Vampirella. Unfortunately, this plot summary makes the book sound much better than it is. It is truly never ending in its plodding expositions, painfully forced humor, clumsy dialogue, and one-dimensional characterization. `` `If you can get enthusiastic about something,' '' one character notes, `` `then do it--and if you can't, then go to sleep.' '' Nighty-night . . . . --Michael Cart, formerly at Beverly Hills Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book, but you can't translate it in all its beauty
May 6 1998
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
A MUST READ for all Michael Ende fans - however it did loose some of its beauty when translated into english - being german there are some things i see in the drawings, others might not catch <i.e. our book critic Marcel Reich Ranitzki <sp> sitting cought in a jar on a shelf> But nontheless a great book for young and old
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious book, unfortunate translation
Dec 26 2006
By Avery Morrow
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
The two professional reviews Amazon provides hint at the main problem with this book: the translator did not take the opportunity to turn the assault of German puns into a similarly overwhelming experience in English. Rather, you have hints of former puns, and a cute fairy tale with an underlying Al Gore parable even a middle schooler could grasp on the first reading. This book is still worth buying if you like Ende, because it will give you further insights into the lifelong themes he outlined in Momo and The Neverending Story, but when it comes to the translation quality it's as if you're looking at a print of Seurat's "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" so badly blurred you can't tell it's made up of dots. It's still a colorful experience but it's nothing new. Someone who is not already a fan of Ende would be totally justified to throw up his arms and say, "So what's the big deal?"
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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