Walter Moers is probably most popular for his comics which are marked byan ironic view of the world and a constant lack of
political correctness. Healso published children’s stories which have been very popular on German TV.More recently he has become known forhis “Zamonia” series, which also includes “The City of
Dreaming Books”. Thefact I find most interesting about Walter Moers is that his work is soversatile. “The City of Dreaming Books“ is set on the continent of Zamonia, whichis populated by bizarre characters like dragons, jackalopes, dinosaurs anddwarfs. Moers only claims to be the translator of the work of the famousdinosaur
author Hildegood von Mythmason, who is also themain character of the novel. Mythmason inherits a short story by an unknownauthor which is such a superb piece of literature that he sets out on a journeyto find out the author’s identity. His journey takes him to Bookham, the cityof dreaming books, a city obsessed by literature. After indulging in this lifedetermined by books, his quest for the author of the short story turns out tobe dangerous and evil characters lure him in the vast catacombs of the city.Trying to get out, he meets misterious characters like Bookhunters, the ShadowKing, living books and other creatures of the dark. Together with the ShadowKing he finally sets out to take revenge on the people who tried to kill him. At first, I thought that it was quite peculiar to write a book aboutbooks, however, this has become one of the facts I have come to like most aboutthis novel. Although this novel is about dragons, dinosaurs and dwarfs it isnot intended for children. Walter Moers really achieves to transport grown-upsinto this magical world, populated by all those fantastic creatures, withoutbeing kitschy. His ideas and the way he expresses them are very humourous andunconventional. To put it in a nutshell, “The City of Dreaming Books“ haseverything I like about a novel, it is a thrilling, absorbing and fast novel,set in a very creative frame story.