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Emil #2
Emil and the Three Twins
Emil and the detectives are on holiday by the seaside when they meet the three Byrons. One Byron is the father and the other two are the sons, Mackie and Jackie. Jackie is bigger than Mackie and Byron Senior is very annoyed about it. But what is Jackie to do? When Emil and the detectives discover that the father is planning to desert poor Jackie they are determined to come to the rescue but not before they've been cast away on a desert island.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1934
23 people are currently reading
353 people want to read
About the author
Erich Kästner
299 books612 followersErich Kästner (1899–1974) was a German author, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known for his humorous, socially astute poetry and children's literature.
A stout pacifist and democrat, he was expelled from the national writers' guild during the Nazi era, with many of his books being burned in public. Today, he is widely regarded as one of Germany's most prolific and beloved children's book authors.
AKA:
Έριχ Καίστνερ (Greek)
A stout pacifist and democrat, he was expelled from the national writers' guild during the Nazi era, with many of his books being burned in public. Today, he is widely regarded as one of Germany's most prolific and beloved children's book authors.
AKA:
Έριχ Καίστνερ (Greek)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
July 4, 2016
Young Emil Tischbein (or Emil Tabletoe in some editions of Emil and the Detectives) returns in this sequel set two years after Erich Kästner’s charming original. The Professor (not a true educator at all, but the nickname of a clever boy Emil’s age named Theodore Haberland) has inherited a house at Korlsbüttel on the Baltic Sea. He writes Emil, now 14, and invites him to spend a few weeks at this house along with Emil’s grandmother and his cousin Pony Hütchen and a few of the old detectives gang.
Emil consents. He’s secretly saddened at his widowed mother’s engagement to the kind policeman Heinrich Jeschke, and he hopes that getting away will soften the blow. But with Emil, can adventure be far behind?
I didn’t expect Emil and the Three Twins to live up to the glory of its predecessor, and it certainly didn’t. The eponymous three twins — actually, a remarkable acrobat act consisting of a father and his two sons called the Byrons — do not even appear until literally halfway through the book, and not much happens until they do. With the appearance of the Byrons (fraternal twins Jackie and Mackie and their father), the detectives engineer yet another daring rescue.
Expecting this novel to be another masterpiece like Emil and the Detectives would be unfair, and I really enjoyed Emil and the Three Twins — once it got going. Just know that, this time around, Kastner takes his time meandering toward the adventure. The novel is still worth reading, but readers might want to check it out of their public libraries.
Emil consents. He’s secretly saddened at his widowed mother’s engagement to the kind policeman Heinrich Jeschke, and he hopes that getting away will soften the blow. But with Emil, can adventure be far behind?
I didn’t expect Emil and the Three Twins to live up to the glory of its predecessor, and it certainly didn’t. The eponymous three twins — actually, a remarkable acrobat act consisting of a father and his two sons called the Byrons — do not even appear until literally halfway through the book, and not much happens until they do. With the appearance of the Byrons (fraternal twins Jackie and Mackie and their father), the detectives engineer yet another daring rescue.
Expecting this novel to be another masterpiece like Emil and the Detectives would be unfair, and I really enjoyed Emil and the Three Twins — once it got going. Just know that, this time around, Kastner takes his time meandering toward the adventure. The novel is still worth reading, but readers might want to check it out of their public libraries.
May 16, 2020
Eine typische Fortsetzung in dem die Charaktere wichtiger sind wie eine (logische) Geschichte. Besonders am Anfang eher eine zähe Angelegenheit bis das Abenteuer beginnt. Was ich irgendwie auch tragisch finde ist die Geschichte von Emil und seiner Mutter/Hochzeitspläne etc. Was aber für die damalige Zeit wohl einfach normal war. Aber zurück zu den drei Zwillingen. Die Freundschaft zwischen den Detektiven ist immer noch bombe, aber das Buch selber ist einfach nur okay. Dann lieber nochmals das originale Abenteuer lesen.
Believathon II: Journey to the Stronghold. The Yellow Brick Road: A book you were supposed to read years ago!
Believathon II: Journey to the Stronghold. The Yellow Brick Road: A book you were supposed to read years ago!
March 31, 2018
"Emil und die drei Zwillinge" fällt unter die Kategorie der Bücher, von denen es heutzutage ja Massen gibt, die wahrscheinlich nur geschrieben wurden, um den Erfolg eines ersten Bandes noch weiter auszukosten. Wo der erste Teil der Reihe noch durchweg spannend war, ist dieser Roman nur zäh. Natürlich war ich wieder von den Freundschaften der Jungs begeistert und auch die Großmutter ist wieder der Knaller. Aber die ganze Sache mit den Akrobaten war so absurd (zumindest aus heutiger Sicht), dass ich mir ein bisschen veräppelt vorkam. Da hätte es tatsächlich einige Handlungsstränge gegeben, die ich lieber verfolgt hätte.
Kurzum kann man von diesem Folgeband ruhigen Gewissens die Finger lassen und stattdessen lieber noch einmal zu "Emil und die Detektive" greifen.
Kurzum kann man von diesem Folgeband ruhigen Gewissens die Finger lassen und stattdessen lieber noch einmal zu "Emil und die Detektive" greifen.
March 10, 2013
I read Emil and the Detectives for the first time around 20 years ago, and somehow I like it. So when I found its sequel at a local bookstore, Emil and the Three Twins, I bought it without a second thought. It turns out, I tend to dislike this book. It was not fun, too dragging, and fell flat, especially if one has to compare it with its prequel. Unless if you really have some spare time to spend, better give this book a pass.
April 16, 2021
Oje... Kästner, du Feuertüte, was ist denn da passiert?
Ich kann nur sagen: Finger weg von der Fortsetzung. Praktisch ohne Handlung und Antrieb, der ganze Fun aus Teil 1 geht dahin. Stattdessen bekommt man eine Hintergrundstory für Emil, und die will man bei Emil einfach nicht haben; Emil war ohne weitere Tragik genau richtig.
Da Emil und die Detektive Kästners erster Roman gewesen ist, kann man sich denken, dass der Erfolg ein wenig zu heftig war - in der Fortsetzung spielt sogar die erste Verfilmung eine Rolle. Das Buch schwelgt die meiste Zeit über in Erinnerungen an Part 1 und kommt in den letzten 80 Seiten dann mal zu den drei Zwillingen. Und die Story funktioniert auch nicht so richtig. Dagegen ist Emil und die Detektive das realistischste Buch aller Zeiten.
Ich kann nur sagen: Finger weg von der Fortsetzung. Praktisch ohne Handlung und Antrieb, der ganze Fun aus Teil 1 geht dahin. Stattdessen bekommt man eine Hintergrundstory für Emil, und die will man bei Emil einfach nicht haben; Emil war ohne weitere Tragik genau richtig.
Da Emil und die Detektive Kästners erster Roman gewesen ist, kann man sich denken, dass der Erfolg ein wenig zu heftig war - in der Fortsetzung spielt sogar die erste Verfilmung eine Rolle. Das Buch schwelgt die meiste Zeit über in Erinnerungen an Part 1 und kommt in den letzten 80 Seiten dann mal zu den drei Zwillingen. Und die Story funktioniert auch nicht so richtig. Dagegen ist Emil und die Detektive das realistischste Buch aller Zeiten.
August 12, 2021
This book, damn, was better than the first.
As the first, Emil and the Detectives, it was a book for school. But it was so good and I'm so glad bcs I own it. Lol.
Anyways, the actions were so nice. When they remained stuck on that island, Gustav, Teo and Hans. And the movie part. And the part when the detectives went to get money for Jackie was 😭. Real friends. Friends that I'll never have, lol.
Idk what to write more about this book, bcs it was so good and I don't find bad things at it.
Password: Emil!
😂
As the first, Emil and the Detectives, it was a book for school. But it was so good and I'm so glad bcs I own it. Lol.
Anyways, the actions were so nice. When they remained stuck on that island, Gustav, Teo and Hans. And the movie part. And the part when the detectives went to get money for Jackie was 😭. Real friends. Friends that I'll never have, lol.
Idk what to write more about this book, bcs it was so good and I don't find bad things at it.
Password: Emil!
😂
August 15, 2025
Two years after the adventures of the first book, our heroes meet again on the summer holidays. But this time everything is kind of slow and almost all the action is saved for the last third of the book.
It's good to see the author was so pleased with the movie adaptation that it feels almost like it's one of the characters in this one.
November 25, 2025
From the paradoxical title to the twin prefaces (one for ‘beginners’, the other for ‘experts’) Kästner’s sequel to Emil and the Detectives is both more of the same and yet completely different.
It also seems largely devoid of action till halfway through, when we get to the mystery of how there can be ‘three twins’ and everything kicks off; up to this point I, doubtless along with most readers, was wondering what this wandering plot, the equivalent of the perennial school essay ‘What I Did in my Holidays’, was playing at.
But, as I’ve now come to expect from Kästner’s children’s fiction, at its heart is a very human story, one of hopes and fears, joy and pain, friendship and love, which to my mind makes it worth pursuing to the very end.
After a recap of Emil and the Detectives (Emil und die Detektive, 1928) and a prelude describing how the author when inadvertently stumbling upon the 1931 feature film being shot in Berlin meets a key character in his book, we’re introduced to the several of the protagonists in this sequel: Emil himself, now two or three years older (like the other ‘detectives’) and wearing trousers; Gustav, who’s progressed from brandishing a bicycle hooter to tearing around on a small motorbike; Emil’s cousin Pony Hütchen who, now that she’s 14, is treated as a young miss.
These and others who helped Emil in Berlin – namely Little Tuesday, Theodore ‘The Professor’ Haberland and Hans Schmauch – all assemble at a resort on the Baltic Sea where they will spend the best part of the summer holidays on the beach, in boats, on an excursion to Copenhagen or, as it happens, trying to rectify a wrong that’s about to be visited on a young lad.
And let’s not forget the grown-ups in this sequel: Emil’s widowed mother Frau Tischbein, who’s being courted by the policeman from the first novel; Emil’s lively and sagacious grandmother; The Professor’s parents and their kind but gullible housekeeper; Captain Schmauch, the uncle of Hans who runs a ferry across the Baltic; and the mysterious trio of acrobats who call themselves the Byrons, two of whom are supposedly the twin sons of Herr Anders. All will have their parts to play, though our focus will naturally be on the former detectives who will have a good deed to perform though, of course, not without some mishaps on the way. For example, Herr Haberland, unaware of the dangers his son and friends have faced when the grown-ups have been away, rather patronisingly dismisses his wife’s apprehensions as female intuition:
Future readers will be well advised to put up with the leisurely scene-setting of the first third or so of the book: as well as being pleasantly inoffensive it’s all essential to establish or re-establish our acquaintance with not only the individuals involved but also the background to the friendships, the dilemmas that some are facing, and the kinds of lives lived in Germany in the interwar years when middleclass youngsters could be given more autonomy than might be the norm nowadays. And there are gentle lessons to be learned by our young friends: the perfidy that some adults can perform, the sense of fair play that’s required to cement comradeship, the necessity of honestly facing one’s fears when changes to long-established family dynamics and certainties are proposed.
If the foregoing in any way sounds deadly serious then rest assured that Kästner tells his tale with a light touch: there’s a lot of joshing among the lads but also well-meaning humour and fraternal affection (“Password Emil!” is their familiar sign-off); and while there might be the odd smack to the head that we might look askance at nowadays the different generations show a mutual respect that is refreshing and even life-affirming.
I think that, pioneering and refreshing as the first book was, this sequel has a different feel to it but yet is every bit as good because it doesn’t slavishly treat the former book as a blueprint to repeat its success. Adding to its charm are the line drawings by Walter Trier, whose illustrations enhanced many of Kästner’s other titles for children.
It also seems largely devoid of action till halfway through, when we get to the mystery of how there can be ‘three twins’ and everything kicks off; up to this point I, doubtless along with most readers, was wondering what this wandering plot, the equivalent of the perennial school essay ‘What I Did in my Holidays’, was playing at.
But, as I’ve now come to expect from Kästner’s children’s fiction, at its heart is a very human story, one of hopes and fears, joy and pain, friendship and love, which to my mind makes it worth pursuing to the very end.
After a recap of Emil and the Detectives (Emil und die Detektive, 1928) and a prelude describing how the author when inadvertently stumbling upon the 1931 feature film being shot in Berlin meets a key character in his book, we’re introduced to the several of the protagonists in this sequel: Emil himself, now two or three years older (like the other ‘detectives’) and wearing trousers; Gustav, who’s progressed from brandishing a bicycle hooter to tearing around on a small motorbike; Emil’s cousin Pony Hütchen who, now that she’s 14, is treated as a young miss.
These and others who helped Emil in Berlin – namely Little Tuesday, Theodore ‘The Professor’ Haberland and Hans Schmauch – all assemble at a resort on the Baltic Sea where they will spend the best part of the summer holidays on the beach, in boats, on an excursion to Copenhagen or, as it happens, trying to rectify a wrong that’s about to be visited on a young lad.
And let’s not forget the grown-ups in this sequel: Emil’s widowed mother Frau Tischbein, who’s being courted by the policeman from the first novel; Emil’s lively and sagacious grandmother; The Professor’s parents and their kind but gullible housekeeper; Captain Schmauch, the uncle of Hans who runs a ferry across the Baltic; and the mysterious trio of acrobats who call themselves the Byrons, two of whom are supposedly the twin sons of Herr Anders. All will have their parts to play, though our focus will naturally be on the former detectives who will have a good deed to perform though, of course, not without some mishaps on the way. For example, Herr Haberland, unaware of the dangers his son and friends have faced when the grown-ups have been away, rather patronisingly dismisses his wife’s apprehensions as female intuition:
“Women are such nervous creatures. Your mother was quite upset, Theodore, and though you boys were in great danger. another proof of how foolish it is to take any notice of the inner voice which afflicts sensitive women. It’s merely the result of melancholic depression.”The narrator tellingly informs us, ‘The detectives looked at each other but prudently kept silent.’ Nevertheless, as Emil is told by his grandmother, “No good deed is wasted, my boy;” and the boys’ collective efforts ultimately prove not to be a waste of time.
Future readers will be well advised to put up with the leisurely scene-setting of the first third or so of the book: as well as being pleasantly inoffensive it’s all essential to establish or re-establish our acquaintance with not only the individuals involved but also the background to the friendships, the dilemmas that some are facing, and the kinds of lives lived in Germany in the interwar years when middleclass youngsters could be given more autonomy than might be the norm nowadays. And there are gentle lessons to be learned by our young friends: the perfidy that some adults can perform, the sense of fair play that’s required to cement comradeship, the necessity of honestly facing one’s fears when changes to long-established family dynamics and certainties are proposed.
If the foregoing in any way sounds deadly serious then rest assured that Kästner tells his tale with a light touch: there’s a lot of joshing among the lads but also well-meaning humour and fraternal affection (“Password Emil!” is their familiar sign-off); and while there might be the odd smack to the head that we might look askance at nowadays the different generations show a mutual respect that is refreshing and even life-affirming.
I think that, pioneering and refreshing as the first book was, this sequel has a different feel to it but yet is every bit as good because it doesn’t slavishly treat the former book as a blueprint to repeat its success. Adding to its charm are the line drawings by Walter Trier, whose illustrations enhanced many of Kästner’s other titles for children.
December 22, 2023
4.5 stars (5/10 hearts). Now, I enjoyed this story way more than book 1. Somehow the kids rubbed me a lot less. Emil’s love for his mother was way more apparent, and so was the Professor’s for his family. And Pony H. wasn’t around very much and wasn’t a bother. So the characters were much more fun, and there were some GREAT new characters. The humour was very good too, although there was some jeering/teasing, but it was almost all good-natured and taken as such.
What docks half a star is language. Not only was it actually written in the book (and it was more than just “h**k,” too!) but it was said frequently that the boys swore, and I found that so offensive and downright heartbreaking. With a bit of editing, though, that would be fine. Honestly, it’s high praise that the story got 5/10 hearts anyways in spite of language.
The story itself wasn’t exactly a mystery, more of an adventure, but it was quite exciting and hooking, and I really enjoyed it. It was a good continuation of book 1, and I loved the twist of Emil actually SEEING the films made about book 1. The boys showed good personalities and I really appreciated it. Also, although it was a smaller part of the book, the thread of Emil’s mother and the policeman and Emil himself was SO well done and I loved it and almost cried… three cheers for Grandmother, she’s amazing. <33
What docks half a star is language. Not only was it actually written in the book (and it was more than just “h**k,” too!) but it was said frequently that the boys swore, and I found that so offensive and downright heartbreaking. With a bit of editing, though, that would be fine. Honestly, it’s high praise that the story got 5/10 hearts anyways in spite of language.
The story itself wasn’t exactly a mystery, more of an adventure, but it was quite exciting and hooking, and I really enjoyed it. It was a good continuation of book 1, and I loved the twist of Emil actually SEEING the films made about book 1. The boys showed good personalities and I really appreciated it. Also, although it was a smaller part of the book, the thread of Emil’s mother and the policeman and Emil himself was SO well done and I loved it and almost cried… three cheers for Grandmother, she’s amazing. <33
February 20, 2021
Docitali sme. Za mna trosku zbytocne roztahane, inac ako pribeh pre chlapcov ok.
Pribeh nebol nejako extra napinavy, prave naopak, strasne dlho sa tahal ako guma v babkinych trenkach az po koniec, kedy sa vsetko pocas par hodin zomlelo a kedy som si vydychla, ze to Emil nakoniec dobre vyriesil podla babkinych rad, ta vzdy vsetko vedela najlepsie. Ona bola taky etalon všetkého. To mi celkom zralo nervy a este kucharka, Dusenemetlarova.
Rozmyslam, ze preco sa mi to pacilo na 3*, asi preto, ze jeden z muzov nechal chalanov urobit si volny cas (ked skoro vsetci dospeli odisli na vylet do Kodane) po svojom a niest za to dôsledky. To bolo asi ono :) Inac Emil bol uzasny, dobry, aj vsetci chlapci, iba baby okrem Emilovej mamy a babky boli vykreslene teda nie velmi zaujimavo. Vsetky okrem dvoch spomenutych, boli opisane ako nezaujimave a bez nazoru a nehrali ziadnu rolu v pribehu.
Pribeh nebol nejako extra napinavy, prave naopak, strasne dlho sa tahal ako guma v babkinych trenkach az po koniec, kedy sa vsetko pocas par hodin zomlelo a kedy som si vydychla, ze to Emil nakoniec dobre vyriesil podla babkinych rad, ta vzdy vsetko vedela najlepsie. Ona bola taky etalon všetkého. To mi celkom zralo nervy a este kucharka, Dusenemetlarova.
Rozmyslam, ze preco sa mi to pacilo na 3*, asi preto, ze jeden z muzov nechal chalanov urobit si volny cas (ked skoro vsetci dospeli odisli na vylet do Kodane) po svojom a niest za to dôsledky. To bolo asi ono :) Inac Emil bol uzasny, dobry, aj vsetci chlapci, iba baby okrem Emilovej mamy a babky boli vykreslene teda nie velmi zaujimavo. Vsetky okrem dvoch spomenutych, boli opisane ako nezaujimave a bez nazoru a nehrali ziadnu rolu v pribehu.
August 4, 2015
শ্লিপস - আমার মনে হয় এমন একটা নাম পেলেই অনেকেই খুশিতে আটখানা হয়ে যাবে।
ফিলিপ অক্স - নামটা শুনে সবাই হাসাহাসি শুরু করে দেয়।
আমি কিছু বুঝিনি :( (সব দোষ বশীর বারহানের)
শাহরিয়ার কবিরের মধ্যে কি কোনভাবে উনার একটু প্রভাব আছে? আমার কেন জানি মনে হল!
ফিলিপ অক্স - নামটা শুনে সবাই হাসাহাসি শুরু করে দেয়।
আমি কিছু বুঝিনি :( (সব দোষ বশীর বারহানের)
শাহরিয়ার কবিরের মধ্যে কি কোনভাবে উনার একটু প্রভাব আছে? আমার কেন জানি মনে হল!
January 21, 2008
What I learned from this book:
More on time than on time, doesn't exist. A half hour too early is just as tardy as a half hour too late.
More on time than on time, doesn't exist. A half hour too early is just as tardy as a half hour too late.
September 10, 2015
Nu la fel de bună ca „Emil și detectivii” - își cam târâie picioarele ca poveste, nu ajunge prea departe ș n-are spontaneitatea și naturalețea primului volum.
E, asta e.
E, asta e.
August 25, 2016
Musste mal ne Bildungslücke beseitigen! War erfolgreich
July 16, 2024
Emil and the Detectives is one of my favourite books, so discovering its sequel at a book fair nearly made me jump for joy. My research revealed that Erich Kästner shared a similar passion: nurturing young minds through literature. After serving in World War I, Herr Kästner turned to writing, focusing on children's books. His most renowned work is Emil and the Detectives, followed by the sequel Emil and the Three Twins. Unfortunately, the latter did not achieve the same acclaim as its predecessor due to the Nazi era, during which many books, including Kästner's, were burned, as he was known for his anti-military stance and opposition to the Nazis.
Upon finishing Emil and the Three Twins, I can confidently say that Erich Kästner has cemented his place as one of my favourite children's authors. His writing style is succinct and simple, infused with wit and humor, making it perfect for young readers. Every character is endearing and well-developed, except for the villains who invariably meet their just ends. In this sequel, Emil, his team of detectives, and their beloved friends and family venture to the Baltic Sea. The gang embarks on an adventure and performs a good deed by helping their new friend, Jackie. They re-establish their organisation, focusing more on personal growth than merely solving a problem. Although they remain playful, cheerful, and occasionally silly, there is a discernible maturity compared to the first book. Emil's grandmother and Professor's father play the roles of witty sages, guiding the young detectives toward becoming thoughtful adults.
The minor drawbacks of this book lie in its title and length. It took nearly half the book for the main adventure to unfold, perhaps an intentional thematic choice by the author. Additionally, the book felt too short, particularly the mission segment. This brevity made the detective organisation less impressive compared to the first book. However, subsequent events involving the new friend added depth. Overall, "Erich Kästner" is a name I will remember as one of my favourite authors of children's chapter books.
Upon finishing Emil and the Three Twins, I can confidently say that Erich Kästner has cemented his place as one of my favourite children's authors. His writing style is succinct and simple, infused with wit and humor, making it perfect for young readers. Every character is endearing and well-developed, except for the villains who invariably meet their just ends. In this sequel, Emil, his team of detectives, and their beloved friends and family venture to the Baltic Sea. The gang embarks on an adventure and performs a good deed by helping their new friend, Jackie. They re-establish their organisation, focusing more on personal growth than merely solving a problem. Although they remain playful, cheerful, and occasionally silly, there is a discernible maturity compared to the first book. Emil's grandmother and Professor's father play the roles of witty sages, guiding the young detectives toward becoming thoughtful adults.
The minor drawbacks of this book lie in its title and length. It took nearly half the book for the main adventure to unfold, perhaps an intentional thematic choice by the author. Additionally, the book felt too short, particularly the mission segment. This brevity made the detective organisation less impressive compared to the first book. However, subsequent events involving the new friend added depth. Overall, "Erich Kästner" is a name I will remember as one of my favourite authors of children's chapter books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2025
While attempting to rescue some of my books from termites, I discovered this book tucked in the back row of one of the shelves. Or maybe in the middle. Truth be told, I don't really remember; I had to move so many books in my frantic attempt to save as many books as possible. I looked at it in doubt: have I read this book before? Probably not. So I decided to start reading it, as I could not comprehend me buying a book by the writer that changed my life and leaving it collecting dust in the back of a bookshelf. (Luckily safe from those darned termites.) And so I read it and... Maybe I'd read it before, after all. Maybe I just had forgotten to mark the book in Goodreads.
Anyway, the book is something that you could expect from Kästner. Funny, clever, not looking down on the intended young readers as if they couldn't understand something like this book. The mind that is so used to Hollywood's three-act structure might find this book a bit mind-boggling, as it seems to just flow and doesn't even talk about the 'third twin' in probably the first 60% of the book. You will read about so many other things, from Emil Tischbein's sadness of letting his mother get married again, to details of days Emil spent by the sea with his friends, to musings about Goethe, before you get to the case that Emil and the detectives are going to tackle this time. Things come together nicely in the end, and at that time, you might realise that the whole journey through the book has been enjoyable. Then you close the book and think, "Aaah, yes, Kästner definitely wrote this!"
Anyway, the book is something that you could expect from Kästner. Funny, clever, not looking down on the intended young readers as if they couldn't understand something like this book. The mind that is so used to Hollywood's three-act structure might find this book a bit mind-boggling, as it seems to just flow and doesn't even talk about the 'third twin' in probably the first 60% of the book. You will read about so many other things, from Emil Tischbein's sadness of letting his mother get married again, to details of days Emil spent by the sea with his friends, to musings about Goethe, before you get to the case that Emil and the detectives are going to tackle this time. Things come together nicely in the end, and at that time, you might realise that the whole journey through the book has been enjoyable. Then you close the book and think, "Aaah, yes, Kästner definitely wrote this!"
April 2, 2023
This didn't have the charm of its predecessor, Emil and the Detectives, which I read the heck out of as a kid. Still, it was nice to revisit the characters, even as they are having to grow up. The main plot was, frankly, thin. I'm not sure if Kästner was going for a "mystery" that was along the lines of the responsibilities that family members have to each other, which would more or less parallel the B-plot line, but it fell a little flat.
And there is, in the background, always this thing that Kästner has where mothers are adored but needy (probably modelled on his own relationship with his mother) and girls are annoying and women semi-hysterical, which as a grown-up I can spot much more easily.
Still, the fact that Kästner so managed to rub the Nazi authorities (who would sweep into power in the years following this book's publication) the wrong way with his literature, to the point that it was burned (and he saw it being burned), is a mitigating factor for me. And being immersed in this wistful time and place of pre-World War II Germany was an interesting journey to take again.
And there is, in the background, always this thing that Kästner has where mothers are adored but needy (probably modelled on his own relationship with his mother) and girls are annoying and women semi-hysterical, which as a grown-up I can spot much more easily.
Still, the fact that Kästner so managed to rub the Nazi authorities (who would sweep into power in the years following this book's publication) the wrong way with his literature, to the point that it was burned (and he saw it being burned), is a mitigating factor for me. And being immersed in this wistful time and place of pre-World War II Germany was an interesting journey to take again.
October 18, 2025
"Emil and the Detectives" remains one of the most enjoyable children's books ever written and this is the sequel. And it's a disappointment. Whereas "Detectives" had a plot that moved from start to finish, this has several plots - a suitor for Emil's mother, an acrobat abandoning a child and trying to take another, a stranding on a sandbank and the raising of funds for the abandoned child. These seem to have a common theme of a father-figure leaving a boy to his own devices but not all are resolved (what will happen to Mackie when he gets older, for instance?). And, whereas "Detectives" celebrated cooperation and kindness, here the boys are a lot nastier, name-calling a servant to her face and, in the case of Gustav, being criminally violent to his contemporaries. Gustav boasts about having beaten up another boy so badly for being a "sneak", that his clothes no longer fit and he is off school for three days. Not only does Gustav escape punishment, the others, including the adults, approve his actions. He also twice threatens physical violence to the girl called Pony who, both times, has to run away to escape being hit. Not OK.
October 11, 2021
I was struggling to read thanks to coming down with covid and decided a classic children's book would be easier to manage. So I found this which used to be my Dad's.
This was just what I needed. Emil is invited to the Baltic on a summer break by the professor and the whole gang have an adventure when they meet the Byron twins and here that one of them is going to be abandoned.
There isn't so much adventure in this book but the characters are growing up and Emil has to think about his mother's welfare too which is lovely. I loved the wry humour and once I was a few chapters in I raced through it as much has having Covid currently permits me to!
An excellent sequel. I think Kastner is a fantastic writer and I will have to find some more of his books.
This was just what I needed. Emil is invited to the Baltic on a summer break by the professor and the whole gang have an adventure when they meet the Byron twins and here that one of them is going to be abandoned.
There isn't so much adventure in this book but the characters are growing up and Emil has to think about his mother's welfare too which is lovely. I loved the wry humour and once I was a few chapters in I raced through it as much has having Covid currently permits me to!
An excellent sequel. I think Kastner is a fantastic writer and I will have to find some more of his books.
March 20, 2024
This is actually a rather sweet story. Two years have past since the events of Emil and the Detectives, and movie has been made from that story. Recently Emil's friend "the Professor" has inherited a beach house from his great-aunt, and invites Emil and other friends there for a summer holiday. Of course there are adventures, but Emil also matures, so in some ways this is also a coming-of-age novel.
May 19, 2025
Erich Kästner bleibt einfach der beste Kinderbuchautor!
Emil und die drei Zwillinge ist einfach die gelungene Fortsetzung eine sehr sehr guten Kinderbuches. Es ist spannend, lustig, unterhaltsam, lehrreich und macht nachdenklich. Man wird als Kind ernst genommen und als Erwachsener auch. es gibt sogar lustigerweise einige 4th wall Breaks, da Emil und die Detektive ja nun ins Kino kommt. Es gelingt Erich Kästner Bücher so zu schreiben, dass man nach dem letzten Satz wieder mit dem ersten anfangen will und mit dem Gelernten, mit neuer Perspektive auf die Geschichte gucken will.
Emil und die drei Zwillinge ist einfach die gelungene Fortsetzung eine sehr sehr guten Kinderbuches. Es ist spannend, lustig, unterhaltsam, lehrreich und macht nachdenklich. Man wird als Kind ernst genommen und als Erwachsener auch. es gibt sogar lustigerweise einige 4th wall Breaks, da Emil und die Detektive ja nun ins Kino kommt. Es gelingt Erich Kästner Bücher so zu schreiben, dass man nach dem letzten Satz wieder mit dem ersten anfangen will und mit dem Gelernten, mit neuer Perspektive auf die Geschichte gucken will.
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February 6, 2020Prof. Dr. Süheyla Kaya'nın çevirisini, Türkçede modern çocuk edebiyatının öncü yayınevlerinden olan Can Çocuk'un çevirmenler hakkında kısa bilgilendirici metinlere yer vermesi dileğiyle bitirdim. Dünyada gerçekçi çocuk edebiyatının ilk örnekleri arasında sayılan dizinin bu kitapta özellikle yoğun bir şekilde bahsedilen farklı mekanlar ilgimi çekti. Çocuk-kent/mekan etkileşimi ve farkındalığı üst düzeydeydi.
November 12, 2024
I am not going to post a review, for reasons of reading it in its original German, and reading it for the million time, after hundreds of years.
But
I simply love Kästner ability and style to tell a story. I was captivated all through. While many themes or ideas simply don't fit any more, the core messages are as beautiful as ever. In some passages i was as excited as i was when i was 8 or 10, reading it for the first time.
But
I simply love Kästner ability and style to tell a story. I was captivated all through. While many themes or ideas simply don't fit any more, the core messages are as beautiful as ever. In some passages i was as excited as i was when i was 8 or 10, reading it for the first time.
October 18, 2020
פחות מוצלח מהספר הראשון. אך, עדיין מספיק מעניין.
זה בהחלט יעניין מאוד ויגרום הנאה עבור ילדים בגיל המתאים - שהם
קהל היעד המקורי - ולא אחד כמוני המשלים חוסרים ;-)
כאחד מהספרות הקלאסית שעוד ימשיכו לקרוא בו, מעניין יהיה לראות
כיצד יצליחו, בעתיד לשלב בתרגומים החדשים המותאם לתקופה, עניינים
מיושנים (כגון ההתכתבות וההמתנה) בעוד שכיום הכול מידי?
זה בהחלט יעניין מאוד ויגרום הנאה עבור ילדים בגיל המתאים - שהם
קהל היעד המקורי - ולא אחד כמוני המשלים חוסרים ;-)
כאחד מהספרות הקלאסית שעוד ימשיכו לקרוא בו, מעניין יהיה לראות
כיצד יצליחו, בעתיד לשלב בתרגומים החדשים המותאם לתקופה, עניינים
מיושנים (כגון ההתכתבות וההמתנה) בעוד שכיום הכול מידי?
March 5, 2018
A shade under the original Emil and mostly reads like a reunion of Emil and the Detectives. Yet I enjoyed it for its simple storyline, metafictional references to its own fictionality and of course Emil. Read because it's Emil.
June 30, 2023
Lovely to read this again after a gap of over 40 years This guy was way ahead of his time with both his story telling style and the strong relationships he builds up between his main characters aVery good indeed
December 18, 2017
Some sweet bits in this book towards the end.
May 12, 2020
Muito bom.
December 30, 2021
Loved this even more than the first book. It's a beauty.
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