Book rec

[astridv]

I just mentioned re-reading 'Krabat' by Otfried Preußler, which is one of the best YA books I ever read. One of the kind that will appeal to kids and grown-ups alike. I figured that the writer might not be as well known outside Germany so I looked it up on amazon.com and indeed, there's a translated version going by the title 'Satanic Mill'.

It's the story of a boy who starts working as an apprentice at an old mill in the forest... yet he's soon to find out that the mill isn't quite what it appears to be.

The book is often compared to 'Harry Potter', though the two don't have that much in common besides the general subject matter. If you want to check out a different approach to the story of the sorcerer's apprentice and the fight between good and evil, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's dark and genuinely creepy, beautifully written (at least the German version is), and, being set in the 17th century, it also gives interesting glimpses at what life was like centuries ago.

Now back to inking my comic page...

Comments

[lakrids404.livejournal.com]

I remember that book, quite fondly from my childhood. I think that while magic in Krabat (Danish title also, the us title really sucks imo) is so much more low keyed, that it makes it more portent when something magical happens. Where as the Harry Potter books seems take magic as more as tool, and by this way makes magic more mundane, which can be interesting and funny, but not so “magical” ironic enough, if you know what I mean.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Exactly! The difference between the two, in a nutshell.

Which doesn't mean that I enjoy HP any less... can't really compare the two since they're so different in every regard, not least of them the length. Rowling builds this whole new 'verse to play in and get immersed in, while 'Krabat' is more about basic themes, like corruption and power and the lure of evil. And of course love. :) And told really sparingly, compared to the Potter books; in the end, when the Master tempts Krabat and he has to make his choice... really powerful stuff, told in just a few paragraphs. There's a lot that remains unsaid, that you read between the lines. On amazon it says the book is for ages 9-12, but I can't imagine a 9 year old getting the most of this book. It's way too subtle for little kids. Too creepy, too.

And yeah, the English title sucks. So much for low key... what's wrong with 'Krabat'?