Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
|||
| (32 intermediate revisions by 22 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Use dmy dates|date=
{{short description|Children's novel by Michael Ende}}
{{Infobox book
<!-- |italic title = (see above) -->| name = Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver
|
|
| image =▼
|
| author = [[Michael Ende]]
▲| caption = German stamp showing [[marionettes]] of Jim Button (left) and Luke the Engine Driver by the [[Augsburger Puppenkiste]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| media_type =
|
|
|
|
|
|
}}
'''''Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver''''' ({{
The book was published in 1960, and received the [[Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis|German Young Literature Prize]] in 1961. It is one of the most successful [[German language]] children's books of the postwar era.<ref name="faz">Julia Voss, [https://archive.today/20130221155527/http://www.faz.net/artikel/C30351/jim-knopf-wird-50-lang-lebe-der-koenig-von-jimballa-30296501.html "Lang lebe der König von Jimballa"] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved 31 July 2011 {{in lang|de}}</ref> The success led to thirty-four translations into other languages<ref name="goethe" /> and the sequel ''Jim Button and the {{nowrap|Wild 13}}'' (''{{lang|de|Jim Knopf und die {{nowrap|Wilde 13}}|italics=unset}}'').
Ende did not see his book as a children's book,<ref name="fokus">Martin Wittmann, [http://www.focus.de/kultur/buecher/jim-knopf-wird-50-nazis-raus-aus-lummerland_aid_539421.html "Nazis raus aus Lummerland"] ''Fokus'' magazine (9 August 2010). Retrieved 31 July 2011 {{in lang|de}}</ref> but just wrote it for himself.<ref name="fokus-dpa">[http://www.focus.de/kultur/buecher/jim-knopf-wird-50-auf-der-insel-mit-zwei-bergen_aid_537852.html "Auf der Insel mit zwei Bergen"] ''Fokus'' magazine (4 August 2010). Retrieved 31 July 2011 {{in lang|de}}</ref>
== Plot ==
Line 42 ⟶ 41:
When they arrive in Ping, the capital, they win the friendship of a tiny great-grandchild named Ping Pong, who tells them the Emperor is in mourning. His daughter, Li Si, has been kidnapped and is being held in the Dragon City.<ref name="fokus" /> Luke and Jim offer their help, and while investigating the circumstances of Li Si's disappearance, they stumble upon several names which are directly connected to Jim's mysterious arrival on Morrowland: Mrs. Grindtooth (Frau Mahlzahn), the Wild 13, and Sorrowland (Kummerland). Now Jim and Luke have another reason to go to the Dragon City, located in Sorrowland, and confront Mrs. Grindtooth.
After a long and hazardous journey, they arrive in the Dragon City. Along the way, they make two new friends,
With parting advice given by the now-reformed Mrs. Grindtooth and generous assistance from the Emperor, Luke and Jim come into possession of a floating island, which is named New-Morrowland, to serve as Jim's future residence. After a cordial welcome back on Morrowland, Jim and Li Si become engaged
=== Jim Button and the Wild 13 ===
Line 51 ⟶ 50:
Following the events in ''Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver'', life in Morrowland continues as usual for a year until the postman rams New-Morrowland with his [[mail boat]] in the dark of night. It is decided that the island needs a [[lighthouse]], but the island is too small to support one. Jim remembers {{nowrap|Mr. Tur Tur}} and his ability to appear as a giant when seen from afar, and Jim and Luke decide to invite him to Morrowland to use his unique ability as a living lighthouse.
While sailing the oceans with the two steam locomotives Emma and Molly to the desert where {{nowrap|Mr. Tur Tur}} lives, Jim and Luke stop to help out a [[mermaid]] named Sursulapitschi and her father, Lormoral, the king of the seas. This leads to a precarious encounter with the Magnetic Cliffs, whose magnetic pull can be turned off and on. When on, they activate a phenomenon called the Sea Glow, which illuminates the bottom of the sea, but also activates the magnetic pull, endangering passing ships; so someone must be found to ensure that no ships are endangered while the Sea Glow is switched on. In addition, Sursulapitschi is distressed because her fiancée, a "{{lang|de|Schildnöck|italics=no}}" (turtle
Using the special properties of the cliffs' material, Jim and Luke convert Emma into a flying vehicle which they dub the "[[Perpetual motion|Perpetumobile]]" due to its unlimited means of locomotion. With it, they cross the Crown of the World to get {{nowrap|Mr. Tur Tur}}. To their surprise, in the desert they also encounter their half-dragon friend Nepomuk, who had had to flee the Dragon City following the events in the first book, for his help in capturing Mrs. Grindtooth. Jim and Luke persuade Nepomuk to accompany them and take up the post at the Magnetic Cliffs. Unexpectedly, the four meet Sursulapitschi and Ushaurishuum at the cliffs, and the Schildnöck and Nepomuk quickly become friends, enabling the recreation of the Crystal of Eternity.
Meanwhile, Jim's locomotive Molly, whom Jim and Luke had left at the cliffs when getting Mr. Tur Tur and Nepomuk, has been abducted by the band of pirates called the Wild 13. Luckily for Jim and Luke, the former Mrs. Grindtooth awakes as a Golden Dragon of Wisdom in Mandala, helping them out with information and telling Jim how to find out about his origin. With the help of the Emperor, Jim and Luke – and Princess {{nowrap|Li Si}} as a stowaway – start their journey to meet the {{nowrap|Wild 13}} and rescue Molly. They encounter the pirates, who prove
Unseen, Jim manages to sneak into the pirates' fortress, overpower them with a trick and some luck, and become their leader. As it turns out, Jim is the last descendant of Caspar, the third of the [[Three Kings]], whose heirs were doomed to remain homeless after Mrs. Grindtooth had sunk their kingdom beneath the ocean millennia ago. Only the sinking of Castle Stormeye will raise it back to the surface. In the end, the {{nowrap|Wild 13}} sacrifice their fortress, Jim's old kingdom reappears – and to everyone's surprise, Morrowland
All the families whose children Jim and Luke had rescued from the Dragon City come to live in the new country. Jim marries {{nowrap|Li Si}} and receives Molly from the merpeople, her iron frame transformed into the Crystal of Eternity. The {{nowrap|Wild 13}}, reformed by their sacrifice, remain in Jim's kingdom as its protectors and royal guards. {{nowrap|Mr. Tur Tur}}, meanwhile, goes to live on Morrowland as the world's largest lighthouse.
== Settings ==
"Morrowland", where the story begins, is a microcosm of early modern society, with a king, a [[Citizenship#Medieval and early modern citizenship|burgher]], a merchant, and a worker.<ref name="faz-jv1" /><ref group="note">But not quite. Luke is not actually a worker: he is not even counted among the subjects of Morrowland
In Morrowland, people lead an old-fashioned, idyllic life, albeit with modern conveniences. The rest of the world, however, is full of fantasy. As the [[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]] wrote, children read Jim Button at a time in their lives when "the existence of dragons is as real as dinosaurs and kings [are] closer than the chancellor".<ref name="faz" /> The contrast between reality and fantasy is reflected in several places. In Morrowland, Jim is a normal child. He plays outside and doesn't like to wash; his mother sometimes worries about him. Outside Morrowland, however, he goes on adventures, experiences exotic cultures, fights a dragon and finally, saves a princess.
Line 70 ⟶ 69:
;Luke {{nobold|({{lang|de|Lukas}})}}: The engine driver on Morrowland is Jim's closest friend. Where Jim represents adventurous youth, Luke is the man of experience and practicality who manages to solve almost every technical problem. He is very strong and is an expert spitter capable of spitting a loop. His trademark is his pipe, which he smokes in emotional situations.
;Princess Li Si: The daughter of the Chinese Emperor is rather headstrong and obstinate, especially when it comes to discipline. She admires Jim for his courage and intelligence, even though for most of the story he refuses to learn how to read and write, skills she has already mastered quite well. Her name is a pun on the German variant of ''Lizzy''.
;Emma {{nobold|and}} Molly: Luke and Jim's [[tank locomotives]]. Emma is quite sensitive, expressing her feelings about Luke's mood by whistling and huffing, despite the fact she often does not quite understand the reason for her owner's mood. Molly is her daughter, thus smaller and younger.
;Mrs. Whaat {{nobold|({{lang|de|Frau Waas}})}}: The proprietor of a grocery store on Morrowland, and Jim's surrogate mother. She loves Jim dearly and worries about him constantly when he is on an adventure. Her special skill is making sweets, particularly ice cream and ''[[Gugelhupf]]''. One of Mrs. Whaat's ancestors was hearing impaired, saying "whaaaaat?" whenever he didn't understand properly, eventually earning her family its name.
;King Alfred the Quarter-to-Twelfth {{nobold|(''König Alfons der Viertel-vor-Zwölfte'')}}: The king of Morrowland, who is named after the stroke of the clock at the time of his birth and at which he shows himself to his subjects on holidays. He is extremely well-meaning and benevolent, but can get overly nervous under stress and is very inattentive and forgetful.
;Mr. Sleeve {{nobold|({{lang|de|Herr Ärmel}})}}: A citizen of Morrowland and a subject of King Alfred. He is portrayed as a stereotypical Englishman and is most often seen taking a stroll, wearing a [[bowler hat]] and carrying an umbrella. He is very polite, educated, and intellectual, and he is well liked by the island's other inhabitants. Initially he has no job in the book (he "is just there and is being ruled"), though eventually he makes use of his magnificent education in becoming Jim Button's teacher. In the Augsburger Puppenkiste version he works as a photographer.
;Mr. Tur Tur: This {{lang|de|Scheinriese}} ("
;Nepomuk: A half-dragon by birth, because his mother was a [[hippopotamus]], and still has some resemblance to his mother. Like his fellow [[mixed-race]] dragons, he is not accepted by the pure-blood dragons in Sorrowland. He tries to behave like a "real" dragon by being scary and mean, while he is actually neither. (A certain naughtiness, which he later promises to overcome, does seem to belong to his actual traits, though.) However, he is able to help Ushaurishuum create the Crystal of Eternity, and becomes the keeper of the Magnetic Cliffs.
;Pung Ging: The Emperor of China and Li Si's father. A kind and just ruler who befriends Jim and Luke after they offer to free his daughter from Mrs. Grindtooth's clutches.
;Ping Pong: A very young and tiny Chinese boy whose head is the size of a [[ping pong]] ball. Hardly more than a year old and no taller than a man's hand, he is already very capable of behaving and thinking like an adult.<ref group=note>This stereotypical depiction of the Chinese is common in the story. The country called China in the first editions of the book was later changed to "Mandala". The 1990 English translation again uses "China", however (Athenea Bell, Overlook Press, Woodstock, NY).</ref> He is one of the numerous descendants of the Emperor's chief cook; after saving Jim and Luke from a treacherous and manipulative minister, he is made Prime Minister of China by the Emperor
;Mrs. Grindtooth {{nobold|({{lang|de|Frau Mahlzahn}})}}: A pure-blood dragon and the main antagonist of the first story. Her name comes from the single fang projecting from her long snout. She is very knowledgeable and intelligent, but like all dragons, likes to torment lesser beings with her power. She runs a school for human children in Sorrowland.
;The Wild 13 {{nobold|({{lang|de|Die Wilde Dreizehn}})}}: A band of pirates completely identical in appearance and ability. Fearsome pirates and seamen, they are not particularly bright and are poorly educated, each of them knowing only one particular letter of the alphabet. First portrayed as antagonists, they evolve into important characters and plot carriers in the sequel.:Even though they are named "The Wild 13", they are actually only 12 men. This mistake happens because of a fault in their logic. Every day they elect one of their own as a new leader, so they reason they are twelve plus the leader, which results in them thinking they are thirteen.
Line 90 ⟶ 89:
Voss' 2008 article explained that Ende's book was not the "escapist literature" of pure fantasy, as had always been assumed, in part from Ende's own frequent warnings about hiding messages in books. Voss identified numerous literary references in the book, some which reverse the Nazi indoctrination of Ende's youth and others, which stem from his interest in Darwin and draw on English culture and history.<ref name="faz-jv1" />
Darwin's first book, ''[[The Voyage of the Beagle]]'', contains passages about [[Jemmy Button]],<ref name="faz-jv1" /> a teenaged native Fuegian who was sold for a mother-of-pearl button and brought to England,<ref>[http://www.patagonia-argentina.com/i/content/fitzroy.php "The Captain's Experiment"] patagonia-argentina.com Retrieved 1 August 2011</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2458280 "The Return of Fuegia Basket, Jemmy Button, and York Minster"] BBC (22 June 2004). Retrieved 1 August 2011</ref> an island nation. Darwin describes Button's character and demeanor<ref name="faz-jv1" /> and relates details about his capture and sale, explaining his unusual name, and about his return to his homeland, two years later.<ref group=note>There were three other young Fuegians captured along with Jemmy Button, given unusual English names and brought to England. One died shortly after arriving in England. The other two, York Minster and [[Fuegia Basket]], were returned to their home along with Jemmy Button. (See [https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2458280 "The Return of Fuegia Basket, Jemmy Button, and York Minster"])</ref>
=== British references ===
Line 111 ⟶ 110:
In 1974, the story was turned into a Japanese animation.<ref>[http://www.michaelende.de/en/book/jim-button-and-luke-the-engine-driver "Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727061317/http://www.michaelende.de/en/book/jim-button-and-luke-the-engine-driver |date=27 July 2011 }} Retrieved 3 August 2011</ref> A [[audio theatre|dramatized audio book]], ''Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer'' ([[Fontana Records|Fontana]]/[[Deutsche Grammophon]]) was narrated and directed by Ende himself. In 1998, a 52-episode cartoon series titled ''Jim Button'' was produced by [[Flying Bark Productions|Yoram Gross-Village Roadshow]], [[Saban Entertainment]], [[Saban International Paris]], and [[CinéGroupe]].<ref name="goethe" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsi.de/zeichentrickserien/jim_Knopf.php|title=Cartoon series, episode descriptions|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611214653/http://www.tvsi.de/zeichentrickserien/jim_Knopf.php|archive-date=11 June 2007|url-status=dead|access-date=2 August 2019}}</ref> The storyline diverged from the original novels with the introduction of new characters and settings.
A German-language feature film adaptation, ''[[Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver (film)|Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver]]'', was directed by [[Dennis Gansel]], produced by [[Rat Pack Filmproduktion]] and Malao Film, and released by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] on 29 March 2018 in German cinemas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7302634/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ov_inf#releases|title=Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver (2018)
A cinematic adaptation of the second book, ''Jim Button and the Wild 13'', was announced in late March 2018. Filming began in January 2019, and the film, initially planned for Easter 2020, but slightly delayed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], was eventually released on 1 October 2020.<ref>{{cite news |title = Christian Becker: "Der allergrößte Film" |url = http://www.mediabiz.de/film/news/christian-becker-der-allergroesste-film/428297/ |publisher= Blickpunkt:Film| accessdate = 29 March 2018}}</ref>
* ''Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer'' (1961), [[Puppetry|puppet show]] directed by Harald Schäfer, based on children's novel ''Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver''
* ''Jim Knopf und die wilde 13'' (1962), [[Puppetry|puppet show]] directed by Harald Schäfer, based on children's novel ''Jim Button and the Wild 13''
* ''Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer'' (1977), [[Puppetry|puppet show]] directed by Manfred Jenning, based on children's novel ''Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver''
* ''Jim Knopf und die wilde 13'' (1978), [[Puppetry|puppet show]] directed by Manfred Jenning, based on children's novel ''Jim Button and the Wild 13''
* ''Jim Button'' (1999–2001), animated series directed by [[Bruno Bianchi (cartoonist)|Bruno Bianchi]], André Leduc, Jan Nonhof and Jean-Michel Spiner, based on series of children's novels ''Jim Button''
* ''[[Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver (film)|Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver]]'' (2018), film directed by [[Dennis Gansel]], based on children's novel ''Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver''
* ''[[Jim Button and the Wild 13 (film)|Jim Button and the Wild 13]]'' (2020), film directed by Dennis Gansel, based on children's novel ''Jim Button and the Wild 13''
== Footnotes ==
Line 124 ⟶ 131:
* {{official website|http://www.michaelende.de/en/book/jim-button-and-luke-the-engine-driver}}
* {{ann|anime|116|Jim Button}}
* {{IMDb name|0256779|Michael Ende}}
{{Michael Ende}}
{{Authority control}}
Line 131 ⟶ 140:
[[Category:1960 fantasy novels]]
[[Category:German children's novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Michael Ende]]
[[Category:1960 children's books]]
[[Category:Children's books about rail transport]]
[[Category:Television series by Saban Entertainment]]
[[Category:Novels set on fictional islands]]
[[Category:Novels about kidnapping]]
[[Category:Novels about princesses]]
| |||