Re: Emil and the Detectives and The Land of Cockaigne

On 03/07/2024 13.51, jsmith wrote:
> Steve Hayes wrote:
> 
>> When I was at school I read a book containing two stories:
>>
>> Emil and the Detectives
>> and
>> The Land of Cockaigne
>>
>> Both were, I believe, written by German authors between the world
>> wars, and I wonder whether anyone else remembers reading them.
> 
> I've not heard of the second one, but I remember the first one from my
> own childhood! I'm still tremendously fond of it. Very vivid setting
> (the plot actually pays attention to public transport and payphone
> practicalities, can you imagine?)

I first heard of Emil's author, Erich Kästner, when a classmate in sixth
grade gave a book report on his _The 35th of May_, which led me to
immediately check it out from our school library. Great fun!

Speaking of phones and public transportation, in Chapter V, it portrayed
a man on a moving walkway, who decided to make a call on his mobile phone.
He got off the walkway to deal with it!

I never read Emil until I checked it out (from a library in a different
state) to read it to my son. For me, it was so-so.

-- 
Michael F. Stemper
Isaiah 58:6-7