The Neverending Story

Michael Ende (1929-1995) was a German author of children’s and young adult fantasy books. The son of a surrealist painter, Ende studied German fairy tales as a young man, ultimately incorporating this knowledge into his own writings.

While Ende published a range of novels, poetry, drama, and picture books, his most renowned works are his young adult fantasy novels. His first two novels written in this vein are Jimmy Button and Luke the Engine Driver (1960) and Jimmy Button and the Wild 13 (1962). Focusing on the shared adventures of a locomotive engine driver, a Chinese princess, and an abandoned baby who is actually a king, these books blend real-life elements and modern conveniences with aspects of fantasy. His novel titled Momo (1973) also represents a modern setting threatened by evil grey men who want to dehumanize the world through their use of technology. In this story, a young orphan girl named Momo uses her imagination to save the world. Likewise, Ende’s most famous work, The Neverending Story (1979), also focuses on how humans’ imaginative gifts can give life not only to people, but to their fantasies and creative pursuits. However, this novel differs considerably from his previous works, for instead of situating the entire story within a fantasy world, Ende creates a child reader who enters the very fantasy world he is reading about.