Book Review: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
The Neverending Story, or Die unendliche Geschichte, as it is called in its original German, is at the top of the list of “books I wish I had read as a kid.” I watched the movie, of course, like any child of the 80’s, and I have vibed to that amazing theme song for years. Yet I had no idea the vast gulf between the movie and its source material. By way of quick recap: The Neverending Story is about a schoolboy named Bastian who happens upon a mysterious book telling the tale of the young warrior Atreyu and his quest to save his world, Fantastica, from a malevolent force called “The Nothing.”
If you have seen the movie then you roughly know the first half of the book. The film in truth does a pretty good job of both conveying some of the book’s themes and visually recreating the world of Fantastica (‘Fantasia’ in the movie). It is an excellent standalone film, especially for kids, however I understand why the book’s author Michael Ende, did not approve of it. Compared to the book it is much shallower as the far more challenging narrative and character ideas come after Atreyu completes his quest and returns to the Ivory Tower. Where the movie ends, the book is only just getting warmed up to the real story.
Atreyu’s story in the first half is also more interesting in the book. Starting with the villain, in the movie the Nothing is personified as this destructive storm blowing things away. This makes sense in a visual medium like film. However in the book it is much creepier. The Nothing is literally nothingness. Characters feel like they are going blind when they look at it. Just being near it is psychologically scarring. The way it gradually erodes entire areas and turns physical objects into ‘outlines’ makes it conceptually so much spookier. There are also some cool adventures cut from the book, such as the meeting with Ygramul The Many, a giant spider Atreyu faces before meeting Falkor the luck dragon. The challenge of the three gates is also far better in the book with more clever details and the unique “song” entity of the Southern Oracle.
The core idea in the movie and the first half of the book about the importance of fiction and imagination is great for kids. There are some intriguing deeper themes for adults too, particularly in the villain Gmork who works for the “power behind the Nothing” and talks of how dreams become lies and the ominous “Manipulators” behind the scenes. The book is beautifully written with good chapter lengths and pacing. It will keep you invested moment to moment and the little interludes of Bastian’s hideaway at the school are a nice reprieve.
However the point at which Bastian enters Fantastica is where it really gets heavy. The first important difference from the movie is the way it happens. In the movie the Childlike Empress tells Bastian to say her name, he says it, and boom, he’s there. In the book it’s a whole big quest. First the Childlike Empress has to go on a long journey with her servants. After a long time traveling she finds the Old Man of Wandering Mountain, this crazy old dude who has been writing the story of Fantastica in real time from the beginning for thousands of years. To force Bastian to enter Fantastica the Childlike Empress makes the Old Man of Wandering Mountain recursively tell and retell the entire story of Fantastica from beginning to the current moment again and again, including all of Bastian’s actions that day at the book shop and school. This freaks Bastian out as he is suddenly reading about himself. It’s a super weird meta moment that is way more interesting than what we got in the film.
Then the second part of the story kicks off with Bastian’s journey in Fantastica. He is given the amulet AURYN and the power to wish for whatever he wants, the cost being the loss of his memories. Bastian goes on many adventures and does great things, but he gradually loses himself and eventually becomes the villain in his own story. He is manipulated by the cunning witch Xayide and has a falling out with his former hero, Atreyu, leading to all out war in Fantastica.
There are just so many great moments and ideas in this part of the book. I loved Grograman, The Many Colored Death and Bastian’s adventures with him in the Desert of Colors and Perilin the Night Forest. I loved the story of Hero Hynreck, the great knight who goes on an epic quest to win the love of the Princess Oglamar who rejected him. After all his hard journeying and battling to rescue her and slay a horrifying dragon, he decides he no longer wishes to be with her. The journey has changed him on his way to his goal. There is a great principle there one can observe and apply. I loved the City of Old Emperors and the chilling reveal that Bastian is not the first but rather one of many megalomaniacal rulers of Fantastica. I loved the House of Change and Dame Eyola. Bastian’s time recovering there gave me nice Undertale vibes. I loved Yor the picture miner and the humbling work Bastian must undertake in the dark in silence looking for lost dreams.
The second half of The Neverending Story is much heavier, much less “crowd-pleasing,” and certainly much harder to put to film. However it is also just really really fascinating and unforgettable. It is a wonderful meditation on the importance of humility, memory, and truth. There are some startilingly heartbreaking moments. I am not ashamed to admit I teared up at times. The best literature will do this to you — hit you right in the feels as they say. The Neverending Story does this many times while never failing to surprise, inspire, and entertain.
As a parent, there is only so much direct knowledge you can impart to your children. A lot of the heavier life lessons have to come either from experience or from stories and metaphors. It is my intention to ensure my own children read The Neverending Story for this reason. The book’s teachings and themes transcend conventional grammar school “good boy bad boy” behavior lessons and instead hit much deeper. Bastian’s journey of self-discovery is about moral accountability and self-awareness on the most fundamental levels. This gives its philosophy a timeless quality making it powerfully edifying not only for children. It is this characteristic that justifies the ambitious title. It is a ‘neverending’ story because its truths are eternal.
Grade: A
