172:. The names in the German original are only lightly transformed: Keller's novel features the alchemist and Hexenmeister (witch master) Pineiß, living in the town of Seldwyla, while Moers' novel features the Schrecksenmeister Eißpin, who lives in Sledwaya. Keller's work also features a contract in which the alchemist is to fatten up the cat in return for its fat, but in the original the cat escapes by tricking him into marrying the town's witch.
140:
in return for which he will then be permitted to kill Echo and extract his fat. Ghoolion intends to use the fat for various alchemistic purposes, but in particular as the final ingredient which he needs to secure the secret of eternal life: it turns out that Echo's deceased owner had been the long-lost lover of
Ghoolion, who intends to bring her back to life.
176:
readers. In the second afterword, only found in the German edition, Moers informs the reader of the troubles which he had translating
Yarnspinner's work, which dates from his 'hypochondriac' phase; Moers claims to have reduced the length of the book by some 700 pages through the elimination of Yarnspinner's lengthy discussion of his own physical condition.
139:
The novel's other main character is Echo, a Crat (an animal identical to a cat except that it can speak all languages, has near perfect memory and two livers). On the death of his owner, Echo faces starvation until he makes a deal with the
Alchemaster: the latter will fatten the Crat for a month,
143:
Echo attempts to escape from his pact, enlisting the help of a
Tuwituwu (a one-eyed species of owl) by the name of Theodore T. Theodore, and the last Uggly in Malaisea, Izanuela, who is in love with Ghoolion. Echo and Izanuela plan to use a love potion to make Ghoolion return the Uggly's love.
175:
The novel features two afterwords: one by the
Zamonian writer Optimus Yarnspinner, in which he explains that he is reworking a story named "Echo the Crat" which is originally by 'Gofid Letterkerl' (an anagram of Gottfried Keller), because Letterkerl's style makes his works inaccessible to modern
135:
The novel takes place in
Malaisea, the "least healthy place in Zamonia". The city is dominated by the Alchemaster of the title, Ghoolion, who lives in a building which towers over the town and who combines a range of activities: alchemy; controlling the city's Ugglies (roughly equivalent to
27:
144:
The plan fails, and
Izanuela is killed, but in revenge the living houses of the Uggly destroy Ghoolion's castle. Echo is saved and sets off in search of his own love with a female Crat.
344:
127:
The novel is described on the title page as 'a culinary fairy tale', reflecting the importance within the story of the theme of cooking and eating.
212:
237:
91:
334:
339:
247:
112:, first published in August 2007. It is the fifth of his novels set on the continent of Zamonia, and as in the earlier
349:
329:
267:
120:
205:
157:
124:, Moers purports to be acting merely as the translator of a work by the Zamonian writer Optimus Yarnspinner.
305:
198:
162:
136:
witches); spreading disease among the city's inhabitants; and painting pictures of natural disasters.
297:
26:
86:
169:
257:
114:
323:
221:
109:
37:
185:
105:
194:
190:
289:
228:
85:
77:
69:
61:
53:
43:
33:
206:
8:
19:
213:
199:
191:
25:
18:
345:Adaptations of works by Gottfried Keller
7:
14:
238:The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear
20:The Alchemaster's Apprentice
155:is a reworking of the novella
1:
248:A Wild Ride Through the Night
278:The Alchemaster's Apprentice
153:The Alchemaster's Apprentice
101:The Alchemaster's Apprentice
366:
268:The City of Dreaming Books
121:The City of Dreaming Books
16:2007 novel by Walter Moers
24:
309:(2002–2008 TV programme)
335:Novels by Walter Moers
340:German fantasy novels
48:Der Schrecksenmeister
44:Original title
21:
350:Piper Verlag books
330:2007 German novels
186:Fantasyguide entry
317:
316:
97:
96:
357:
310:
306:Blaubär und Blöd
300:
282:
272:
262:
252:
242:
215:
208:
201:
192:
170:Gottfried Keller
166:
29:
22:
365:
364:
360:
359:
358:
356:
355:
354:
320:
319:
318:
313:
303:
296:
285:
275:
265:
258:Ensel and Krete
255:
245:
235:
224:
219:
182:
160:
158:Spiegel the Cat
150:
148:Intertextuality
133:
115:Ensel and Krete
17:
12:
11:
5:
363:
361:
353:
352:
347:
342:
337:
332:
322:
321:
315:
314:
312:
311:
301:
293:
291:
287:
286:
284:
283:
273:
263:
253:
243:
232:
230:
226:
225:
220:
218:
217:
210:
203:
195:
189:
188:
181:
178:
149:
146:
132:
129:
95:
94:
92:978-3492049375
89:
83:
82:
79:
75:
74:
71:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
55:
51:
50:
45:
41:
40:
35:
31:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
362:
351:
348:
346:
343:
341:
338:
336:
333:
331:
328:
327:
325:
308:
307:
302:
299:
298:Käptn Blaubär
295:
294:
292:
290:Miscellaneous
288:
280:
279:
274:
270:
269:
264:
260:
259:
254:
250:
249:
244:
240:
239:
234:
233:
231:
227:
223:
216:
211:
209:
204:
202:
197:
196:
193:
187:
184:
183:
179:
177:
173:
171:
167:
164:
159:
154:
147:
145:
141:
137:
130:
128:
125:
123:
122:
117:
116:
111:
107:
104:is a fantasy
103:
102:
93:
90:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
49:
46:
42:
39:
36:
32:
28:
23:
304:
277:
276:
266:
256:
246:
236:
222:Walter Moers
174:
156:
152:
151:
142:
138:
134:
126:
119:
113:
110:Walter Moers
100:
99:
98:
81:Piper Verlag
47:
38:Walter Moers
161: [
73:August 2007
324:Categories
180:References
78:Publisher
70:Published
131:Synopsis
54:Language
65:fantasy
281:(2007)
271:(2004)
261:(2002)
251:(2001)
241:(1999)
229:Novels
57:German
34:Author
165:]
106:novel
62:Genre
118:and
87:ISBN
168:by
108:by
326::
163:de
214:e
207:t
200:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
