About a Boy and a Book. Michael Ende´s The Everlasting Story published 30 years ago.

Bookshops in film, part 2

One of the most famous German books setted - partially at least - in an antiquarian bookshop is Michael Ende´s fantasy novel
The Neverending Story (die Unendliche Geschichte), published in 1979. The book was a big success, translated to many languages and filmed in 1984 by German Hollywood director Wolfgang Peterson and produced by Bernd Eichinger (The Downfall/Der Untertan). Leo di Caprio´s production company Appian Way , Warner Broth. and others are said to be "in discussions" about a modern reviving. Die Unendliche Geschichte about a bookshop, a book, a boy and his adventures in real life and in phantasy was Michael Ende´s biggest international success and a role model for blockbusters in books and on screen with a similar plot and attitude, Joanne K. Rowlings Harry Potter (isn´t in need of a link, is it?) and Cornelia Funke´s Inkworld Trilogy; Ende was the first.

As for me, I didn´t read the book, but watched the film on German tv some years ago, when my children were still young. Nice entertainment, as far as I remember, nothing more. Michael Ende hated the film and it´s kitschy Hollywood attitude lacking - in his opinion - magic and enchantment. My children loved the Steinbeisser (Stone Biter) who, together with other creatures from the film, can be visited at
Warner Brothers Movie World.

"What is the secret of the enchanted book?" (film trailer in English)


Michael Ende on why he disgusts what producer and director made of his book; and the making of (with the Felsenbeisser stunt).


This posting is dedicated to Michael Ende, whose book Die Unendliche Geschte was published 30 years ago. Michael Ende died 1995 at age 65 in Bavaria. The title of the book that brought him to fame became kind of a metaphor in German language for complicated and endless matters and affairs

From Notting Hill to the Turtle Diary: Films setted in a Bookstore.

Wonder how many films, esp. English ones, are setted in an oldfashioned-styled bookstore, antiquarian or not. Guess, hundreds. Drama among book-packed shelves maybe be a perfect setting for a superb piece of cinema, a thrilling mystery movie or a heartwarming romantic comedy. Reason why? Ask the scholared film afficionados, they may tell yo;-).

Remember this one? But - worse luck! - I never came across a handsome bookseller guy like Hugh Grant, even sexy-looking in a pink shirt;-). The film is of course Notting Hill with pretty woman Julia Roberts.

Another film setted - partially - in a London bookstore is Turtle Diary (1984)based on a novel by Russell Hoban, an American author in London; the scenario was overworked, enriched with sophisticated dialogues and "pintarized" by British playwright
Harold Pinter; Ben Kingsley is the sensitive and slightly neurotic bookseller, fabulous Glenda Jackson the lonesame and eccentric turtle-loving children´s books author. In the bookstore, the couple meet for the first time (but life comes to a sense not at a bookish place like that but in London Zoo and finally on the beach). The Amazon reviewer
is right: the film is a precious little gem. Watched it on German tv twice and chose it one of my alltime favorites; the film has got its own large Wikipedia article.

Turtle Diary (the movie)at Amazon Marketplace.