Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Everyman's Library (2012), Edition: Illustrated, 208 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: Sail off on a fantastical journey with Baron Munchausen, the jocular title character of this whimsical tale from Rudolf Erich Raspe. The book is based on the exploits of a real-life German baron whose stories about the battles in which he fought as a member of the Russian army included details such as riding on a cannonball and flying to the moon. The book was also the basis of a 1988 film adaptation..
User reviews
LibraryThing member ghr4
The original Munchausen stories, those by R.E. Raspe in 1785 comprising the book's first section (Singular Travels, Campaigns and Adventures), are wonderful tall tales of the Baron's fantastical exploits. Raspe relates these funny and fast-paced tales using Munchausen's first-person voice,
Show More
unspooling the fantastical adventures in a somewhat matter-of-fact, deadpan manner with an air of subdued bewilderment, which is quite charming and effective. The second half of the book, "The Sequel to the Adventures of Baron Munchausen," stories written later by other authors, are no match for the original tales: not nearly as fanciful, and told by far lesser storytellers. John Carswell's exhaustive introduction provides a wealth of background material on the history of the Munchausen tales. Show Less
LibraryThing member greeniezona
I bought this book because Neversink Library and Terry Gilliam. I haven't seen the movie yet, somehow, and thought it would be nice to read the book first. I knew almost nothing about it, and as it turns out, this is one of the rare books where I wish the afterword had been the foreword. It would
I did quite love many of the early stories, the ones, as it turns out, most likely to have been written by Raspe himself. These are the stories with the most in common with tall tales more familiar to American audiences: Pecos Bill, Babe the big blue ox, etc. Grand stories of overstatement and humor. As the book goes on, the tone becomes more satirical, more political, less good-natured, and these stories were almost certainly written by imitators wanting to glom onto the Munchausen "brand."
I did laugh quite a bit, especially in the beginning, and the illustrations are fantastic. The afterword was also very interesting. Treatment of women and black people was poor, even if the most offensive bit was intended to be a satire of slavery.
Would give the first volume 4 stars, the second 3, if I could.
Show More
have explained the differences in tone and provided a helpful context for the stories.I did quite love many of the early stories, the ones, as it turns out, most likely to have been written by Raspe himself. These are the stories with the most in common with tall tales more familiar to American audiences: Pecos Bill, Babe the big blue ox, etc. Grand stories of overstatement and humor. As the book goes on, the tone becomes more satirical, more political, less good-natured, and these stories were almost certainly written by imitators wanting to glom onto the Munchausen "brand."
I did laugh quite a bit, especially in the beginning, and the illustrations are fantastic. The afterword was also very interesting. Treatment of women and black people was poor, even if the most offensive bit was intended to be a satire of slavery.
Would give the first volume 4 stars, the second 3, if I could.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JHemlock
Very enjoyable. Fast paced and exciting. Some of the pickles the Baron gets himself into are funny. Some are pretty dark. Overall a good, quick read.
LibraryThing member Andy_Dingley
A classic, but oddly disappointing. Indeed "the movie was better".
This is just so fast-paced that there's no room for any depth or "texture" to it. Each escapade is only a page or two, so there's hardly room for an adjective. Those that are are mostly implausible superlatives. So it's a fascinating
This is just so fast-paced that there's no room for any depth or "texture" to it. Each escapade is only a page or two, so there's hardly room for an adjective. Those that are are mostly implausible superlatives. So it's a fascinating
Show More
narrative and skeleton for a tale, but there's no meat on these bones. Show Less
Awards
IBBY Honour Book (Illustration — 2002)
Language
Original language
German
Original publication date
1785
Physical description
208 p.; 8.3 inches
ISBN
0307961478 / 9780307961471