Product Description

Unlike cats, bluebears have 27 lives, which can be very handy when one considers the manner in which the hero of this story repeatedly manages to avoid death only by a paw's breadth. The story describes Captain Bluebear's first 13 and a half lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #512676 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-05
• Original language: German
• Binding: Hardcover
• 704 pages

Review
Travel, sci-fi, fantasy, biography and humour dont often come so perfectly packaged. From the introduction of the eponymous ursine captain as a naked infant afloat in a walnut shell its a relentless ride to the cut-off point, halfway through an adventure-packed life that would dazzle the most intrepid explorer. Walter Moerss words and illustrations combine faultlessly to create an addictively daft world. Somewhere in the Atlantic, the crazed landmass of Zamonia and its inhabitants come alive as Bluebears quest takes him east, and each turn of the page reveals yet more surprises. Moerss imagination never lets up and its essential to abandon all preconceptions before escorting the bulky blue hero across deserts made of sugar, past demonic shapeshifting spiders and through the dimensional hiatus. With barely a pause, the story hops from frying pan to fire and back again, as the captain saves himself from countless sticky endings, using ingenuity, imagination and an occasional helping of good fortune. The perfect bedtime story for adults looking for something different, this refreshingly original adventure would appeal to many older children also. Just when it seems hes scaled the pinnacle of bizarre situations, Moers refers yet again to his omnipresent copy of Professor Nightingales Encyclopaediaof Zamonia, and introduces the concept of multi-dimensional space, which is a bit like being everywhere in space and time all at once. But its not quite that simple, and seven brains are needed to fully comprehend the concept. Surreal and psychedelic, unpredictable and immense fun, this is a fabulous world, well worth a visit. And if you follow the scent of a whiff of adventure through this wonderful chaos youll find yourself wondering when youll be fortunate enough to learn of Bluebears other 13? lives. (Kirkus UK)

Customer Reviews

Joyous
This book has given me as much pleasure as anything I've read this year. As the nights draw in and it's cold and wet outside, curl up with a couple of adventures- there are plenty to choose from. These are the totally excellent adventures of a calm, essentially pragmatic (and occasionally vain) bear, and a fantastic antidote to the winter blues.

In the words of Frida, not attractive and a terrible poet, but a speaker of truth:

'Yellow? Thank you very much
Green I wouldn't even touch
As for red it leaves me cold
I'LL LOVE BLUEBEAR TILL I'M OLD!'

Buy this book!
This is the best book I have read in a long time! At first I was a little put off by the sheer size of the book, but once I started reading I got swept away on a weird and wonderful adventure. The story is briliantly illustrated with comments in the margins which help you to understand the strange world in which bluebear lives. I had finished it in no time at all and started reading it again immediately.

The plot is anything but predictable with bluebear going on a long adventure through the continent of Zamonia encountering everything from one inch high pirates to mile tall monsters.

I would reccomend this book to people of all ages with a vivid imagination. It would be a great book to read to a child and equally as good to read alone if youre a child at heart. Very highly reccomended!

Funny as..
The 13.5 lives of Captain Bluebear is a refreshing read and certainly the funniest book that I have read in a long time. The plot gets wilder and wilder as you progress through this large tome. From start to finish it had me hooked and really is one of those books that has you yearning for more.

Captain Bluebear's adventures obviously require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, but don't all the best stories? An absolute delight.