Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32447 in Books
• Published on: 1985-02-28
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Synopsis
At the edge of the city, in the ruins of an old amphitheatre, there lives a little homelss girl called Momo. Momo has a special talent which she uses to help all her friends who come to visit her. Then one day the sinister men in grey arrive and silently take over the city. Only Momo has the power to resist them, and with the help of Professor Hora and his strange tortoise, Cassiopeia, she travels beyond the boundaries of time to uncover their dark secrets.

Customer Reviews

One of the most amazing books of the 20th century but abominable edition
What is wrong with English people and English publishers? This is one of the most important and revered books of the 20th century, both among adults and children. Yet England is the only country of all the 40 countries its been published in (yes, I have done research on the matter) where the author's cover illustration and internal illustrations are entirely omitted, not even mentioned. Michael Ende is also a stunningly good visual artist. His illustrations really bring the book to life.
The Puffin cover is by far the most disgustingly ugly book cover I've seen in my entire life. The people who work for this abominable publisher should be locked up in an asylum or shot right through the head.

Amazing, though I should really have the time to elaborate
The only question surrounding this book is whether or not it is as good as the Neverending Story, Michael Ende's second great fictional 'childrens' novel. As with the latter, Momo is simply astounding, encapsulating the same kind of personal, moving profundity within a work of delightful simplicity (in addition to the first of Ende's 'has to be read several times, it's that stunning' final chapters). Indeed, as to which is the better, only personal choice can decide: both are major modern - if little-known - philosophical works. I myself favour the Neverending Story, primarily because - especially with the hardback version - you really are reading the book being read by the boy in the book; it is a device which moves the object you are holding, as well as the story you are reading, into the realm of the fantastic. Momo, save the charming twist with Cassiopeia's shell in the last paragraph, is a more traditionally-formulated story - though of course that is not without its own implications, as anyone who empathises with Ende's unique philosophy would be keen to stress. Its great strength stems from its more explicit comment on the nature of 'modern' humanity: the men in grey are particularly relevant and unmistakable (as is the whole explanation of people's lack of time, a perfectly-formed allegory), next to which The Nothing can appear a rather vague concept.

Another translation of "Momo" also exists, under the title of "The Men in Grey". It would be interesting to compare the two; whilst this edition by J. Maxwell Brownjohn is near-perfect when the story's pace increases, the first few chapters were a bit too literally interpreted from the German, sometimes appearing odd and out-of-place. Emphasis on the word 'bit': this is the only tiny criticism one could hope to make of such a brilliant work, which, as with the greatest of literature, effortlessly captures important and profound observations in a compelling, seemingly-innocent and simplistic medium. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.

Your time is being stolen...
Momo is the only person in the world that can stand the influence of the grey men. Momo isa child with a special gift, and if you think there isn't anything special about knowing how to LISTEN, you are mightily wrong. This is a teriffic truth telling book about life in the modern world, and even if Ende uses magic to explain this, it doesn't mean there isn't truth in it. An enchanting read for children and adults alike.