If Mrs Tischbein had known the amazing adventures her son Emil would have in Berlin, she'd never have let him go.
Unfortunately, when his seven pounds goes missing on the train, Emil is determined to get it back - and when he teams up with the detectives he meets in Berlin, it's just the start of a marvellous money-retrieving adventure . . .
A classic and influential story, Emil and the Detectives remains an enthralling read.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is quite a cool little tale in which the main character is both victim and detective.
The book was on our shelves for years when I was little, yet I shunned it, assuming it to be a 'boys' book' purchased for my brother. In more recent years I've noticed it being celebrated as a kids' classic, and early juvenile detective story, being published in 1929. It seems the young target audience in Germany couldn't get enough of Emil, so his fame spread to the English speaking world.
At the outset, we're told that our conscientious young hero, Emil Tischbein, is 'not a prig' since he has to make a concerted effort to be good, just as some people try to give up indulging in sweets or going too often to the pictures. (And we 21st century readers may add social media addiction.) This transparency and thoughtfulness makes young Emil instantly likeable. He understands his mother's ongoing costs-of-living worries and is willing to do his bit to help.
So 10-year-old Emil lives with his widowed mother who struggles to make ends meet as a hairdresser. One day he embarks on a train journey to visit his grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousin in the big city of Berlin. His mother sends some hard-earned cash for Grandmother, which Emil pins to the inside of his jacket pocket, anxious not to lose it. In spite of all his precautions, the train's motion lulls him to sleep and Emil wakes up to discover he's been robbed.
He has a fair idea who the thief is. The sleazy Herr Grundeis who shares his carriage seems the type of man who would sink low enough to rob a young boy snoozing on a train. Hardly knowing what recourse he ought to take, Emil hops off the train several stations too early to trail the scoundrel, lugging his suitcase and a colorful bouquet, also from his mother to his grandmother. These have become iconic props of the story, which I believe represent different aspects of Emil's character. The suitcase indicates his unfamiliarity with the overwhelming cosmopolitan environment, while the flowers signify his love and loyalty to family.
Emil enlists the help of some lively, unlikely comrades to help catch the thief. They are several city boys his own age who consider themselves to be running their own, thrown-together detective agency. And the author, Kastner, cleverly weaves himself into the story down the track.
When Emil's city family find out what's happening, his girl cousin, Pony Hutchen, comes to help. Some modern readers may think Pony's input dates the story as anti-feminist, since she proudly offers to look after the boys with coffee and rolls. However, I'd never classify Pony as a willing drudge. For starters, she's wise and resourceful, also doing plenty of other cool stuff such as speeding around on her bicycle and giving sage advice. And the hospitality/care role she takes upon herself undeniably makes everyone's lives far easier and more pleasant, so taking offence on Pony's behalf from our enlightened stance may be levelling uncalled for criticism at a worthy industry. She doesn't have a servant mentality. Rather, she has wisdom and forethought.
The simple theme is to never underestimate kid savvy and strength in numbers. Proving the crime turns out to be an ingenious brain wave on Emil's part. Altogether, it's a fun story, hugely action driven and fast-paced. If kids their age ever really had the freedom to go racing around all over the city, I think stranger danger became more of a thing in later decades.
It's not really a detective story as such, since everyone knows full well who the villain is. It's more of a high-speed chase.
An underlying theme is the value of money, and sad chasms between the rich and poor. Nothing much has changed. Here's a bit of dialogue between Emil and one of his new friends, a boy who's dubbed, 'the Professor.'
Emil: Are your people well off?
Professor: I don't really know. Nobody ever talks about money.
Emil: Then I expect you have plenty.
I followed this up by watching the film of the same name from the 1960s, which adds a huge number of changes to make it even more dramatic, one of my pet eyerolls.
🌟🌟🌟½
I'll soon follow up this review with its sequel, Emil and the Three Twins.
Erich Kästner is a 'staple' in many German households. I do wonder how his fine sense of humour comes across in translations, to be honest. Anyway... I grew up on his tales, my favourites being 'The Parent Trap' (or 'Das doppelte Lottchen', as it's called here!) and 'The Flying Classroom' ('Das fliegende Klassenzimmer'). Kästner is more than his children's books, though... he also wrote books for adults, and he was a complex and complicated character. It was the 50th anniversary of his death in late July, so there were several programmes on him and his life on TV. Very interesting. I hope you'll enjoy his other books as well.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm glad my focus on his juvenile books coincides with his 50 year anniversary! I had no idea. I've just read The Flying Classroom too, and decided to save the review until Christmas when it will be seasonal 🙂 Loved that one too, plus Emil and the Three Twins (which I'll review within the next few weeks).
DeleteI wonder whether Kastner's sense of humour does come through in the English translations I have. I found myself often grinning at his wry comments, so kudos to the translators.
It would be interesting to get hold of the material for grown-ups, although I loved his rationale for writing for a juvenile audience. What I've found out so far about his experiences during the War are fascinating too.