כתר הדרקון

by Uri Orlev, אורי אורלב

האמנם יוכל הנסיך האכזר לגנוב את כתר הדרקון? האם יסכים לסכן את נפשו ולהציל את בת-המלך הענוגה שנפלה בשבי השתקנים? ואיך יתמודדו אנשים תמימים, שלא נלחמו מעולם, בצבאות איומים צמאי דם?

תשובות לכל אלה תמצאו באגדה מסעירה ומרתקת, על ארץ דמיונית, שמתרחשים בה קרבות קשים, מסעות מדהימים ואהבה נפלאה הגוברת על הכל.

Genres: Fantasy

194 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Uri Orlev (Hebrew: אורי אורלב‎; born Jerzy Henryk Orlowski in 1931) is an award-winning Israeli children's author and translator of Polish-Jewish origin. Born in Warsaw, Poland, he survived the war years in the Warsaw Ghetto and the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (where he was sent after his mother was shot by the Nazis). After the war he moved to Israel. He began writing children's literature in 1976 and has since published over 30 books, which are often biographical. His books have been translated from Hebrew into 25 languages, while he himself has also translated Polish literature into Hebrew. One of his most famous books, which was also adapted as a play and as a film, is the semi-autobiographical The Island on Bird Street.

In 1996 Orlev received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for children's literature.

Reviews

[Federico · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poco fantasy, pochi draghi ma un'ottima parabola su bene, male e il grigio che vi sta in mezzo.

Sia chiaro, molte situazioni sono banali, telefonate e scontate, ma la semplicità favorisce la comprensione della metafora che l'Autore ha voluto mettere in piedi scrivendo questo libro.

Nelle storie sulla lotta del bene contro il male spesso i nomi dei personaggi sono del tutto irrilevanti, perché sono facilmente incasellabili in uno stereotipo di ruolo (la principessa, il ministro, il re, ecc.), e così l'Autore decide di rivelare i nomi dei personaggi solo se e quando sfondano i confini del loro ruolo e diventano tridimensionali, accettando la "nebbia" del loro essere.

Questa tridimensionalità è appena accennata ovviamente, sia per il target, sia per il numero di pagine di questo libro, ma soprattutto perché non è lo scopo di questo romanzo regalare personaggi sfaccettati in cui immedesimarsi, ma esclusivamente insegnare che il bene e il male come assoluti non sono reali: solo riconoscerci e accettarci nel nostro complesso ci permette di prendere davvero possesso della nostra identità.

Consiglio questo libro ai ragazzi che cercano una favola morale leggera e "digeribile".
Per cercare grandi storie di fantasy coi draghi, invece, è meglio rivolgersi a libri più indicati.

[Anatl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot recommend this book highly enough. A wonderful clever thought provoking fantasy that is a joy to read and stands the test of time. Suitable both for school children and adults

[Tzivya Katsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

ספר שמצאתי בטעות ברחוב והרמתי כי אורי אורלב.
פנטזיה מדהימה בפשטותה ובשאלות שהיא מציגה על טוב ורע ובעיקר על האיזון הדק והאמביוולנטיות ביניהם. אורלב מציג לנו עולם מגוחך במוחלטות של הטוב והרע שבו ואת הדילמות שהדמויות מכל כיוון מתמודדות איתן בגילוי קיומם וערכם של אלמנטים שעבורם הם "גנוזים", כמו כעס ואלימות, אהבה וליטוף.
רק לשתי הדמויות הראשיות יש שמות, וגם הם מתגלים רק בשלב מאוחר בספר - כשהם יוצאים מסביבתם הטבעית ויכולים להשיל מעצמם חלקית את הציפיות שמונחות עליהם בתור הארכיטיפ של הטוב והרע.
הסוף היה פתוח מדי לטעמי והייתי שמחה לקצת יותר סגירת קצוות. חוץ מזה קריאה מהנה מאוד.

[Ginger Lost in Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
È un romanzo dalla bella parabola, con una premessa molto interessante. Orlev scrive bene, intrattiene, incuriosisce in un contesto fantastico, ma brutalmente reale.
L'ultima pagine e le prime 40, sono state le mie parti preferite.

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in Hebrew - cant find an English version.
One of my all time favorites, this book made me start reading Fantasy as a child.

Heres the blurb i found:

"Uri Orlev asks moral questions in a fantasy tale that is a parable of good and evil.
Princess Mayalila will inherit all she sees, and as far as the eye can see everything belongs to the Eastern Kingdom. This is a land of Good where there are no bad actions or words, no killing, and no death. Peace ends when Prince Akraton, from the evil Western Kingdom, shows the people that there is beauty in evil, and in this way he gains a following. The problem becomes even more complicated when Princess Mayalila is kidnapped by the Silent Ones. The only way to appease the Silent Ones is to offer them a dragon`s crown, and there is only one man who knows how to hunt a dragon: the Black Prince Akraton. And so the king makes a pact with the devil to get his daughter back. Akraton pursues Mayalila, and what follows is a love story in which Uri Orlev expresses his own vision of optimism."

:)

[Chiara Nontalini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carino anche se un po' sbrigativo per i miei gusti, avrei voluto più descrizioni dei draghi, dei taciturni, del legame fra i protagonisti...