I might try the first book some time if I can find it. ( )

In the sequel to The City of Dreaming Books, Optimus Yarnspinner, a now self-professed "famous literary heavyweight" travels to Bookholm once more in response to a cryptic letter.

The last line of the letter reads: 'The Shadow King has returned.'

It is signed off in his own handwriting, addressed from The Leather Grotto, located in the catacombs.

Unfortunately, almost half of this book is taken up by Yarnspinner's new obsession (I'm not revealing any spoilers!) and note-taking, and it ends in a major cliffhanger at the end of the book. There's definitely a Part 2 in the making for this novel.

Although this book deserves one more extra star for the clever anagrams of famous authors in the book! I think I spotted Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll and Franz Kafka in the mix.. ( )

"Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher" war fantastisch! Echt super! Herzerfrischend, irgendwie. Es war auch das erste Buch von Walter Moers, das ich gelesen habe.

Die verschiedenen negativen Kommentare über "Das Labyrinth..." lesen wollte, hielten mich nicht dazu an, das Buch zu lesen. Aber, irgendwie, habe ich es mir ja gekauft.

Und am Anfang machte das Lesen Spaß, denn ich - naja, Hildegunst von Mythenmetz - war wieder in Buchhaim. Aber die Stadt ist auch wiederaufgebaut worden. Und es ist positiv, dass Walter Moers hier die Lücken füllt über die Stadt, über Hildegunsts Freund (siehe "Die Stadt..."), usw.

Das Buch liest sich einfach weg, auch wenn es zum großen Teil wie ein Reiseführer ist. Welche Einrichtungen und Geschäften es jetzt gibt, z.B.. Aber das Wichtigste in Buchhaim ist ohne Zweifel... Puppetismus. Nicht länger Buchimismus, sondern Puppentheater, in verschiedene Formen und Arten.

Gerade das - oder, besser gesagt, Hildegunts Notizen darüber - macht das Lesen irgendwann langweilig. Ich wollte das Buch beiseitewerfen. Glücklicherweise wurde es wieder interessant am Ende, als Hildegunst und co. ins Labyrinth hinabstieg. Was dann passiert, wird im dritten Buch erklärt werden, "Das Schloss der Träumenden Bücher" (wird Oktober 2014 veröffentlicht).

Kurzum, an sich ist "Das Labyrinth..." eine tolle Geschichte. Aber im Vergleich zu "Die Stadt...", ist es, meiner Meinung nach, eher mittelmäßig. Schade! ( )

I was rather disappointed with this follow-up to "Die Stadt der träumenden Bücher". It started out well, but then became more and more tedious. Definitely couldn't live up to its predecessor for which I gave five stars. There seems to be another sequel planned (one more downside: the book stops right in the middle of the story with a note that says "Well, I didn't manage to finish this. There'll be a sequel..." - Sorry, but did anyone say "Rip-off?"). I would give it only one star if the characters weren't so likeable, so lucky you, Mr Moers, that you are actually a good writer but just didn't do things right with this one. Oh, and please don't repeat yourself so much in the next one! We already read the first book, we don't need a summary of half a book-length, thank you very much! ( )

Okay, I felt really cheated by this half book ploy. This book ends when he gets to the labyrinth of dreaming books. The whole book takes place in Bookholm in a book-long digression on puppetism. Now it is still Walter Moers and it definitely has its moments of being very funny and clever, but the longueurs. The are about a hundred different types of puppetism and hardly any of this book features the bookstores and basically books at all, it is all puppets, puppets, puppets. I for one, was not sold on puppets, in a book, which I note, I am reading about puppets. Perhaps if I were seeing the puppets as described it would be worth it, so write a puppet show. You have to wait for the next book to get back to the labyrinth of dreaming books, so the title is entirely a misnomer. There were hints of a contractual obligation problem, as if the puppet digression took so long he had to split the book into two books to meet his contract. If so, poorly done Mr. Moers and poorly done Overlook Press. ( )