Old Shatterhand

Karl May Pockets #2

by Karl May, Anonymous (Translator)

De avonturen van de twee vermaarde vrienden, Winnetou en Old Shatterhand, gaan voort. De laatste treedt nu op in de rol van detective. De zwakzinnige zoon van een rijke bankier, een jongeman die zich verbeeldt een dichter te zijn, laat zich door een zwendelaar tot een reis verleiden. Met begrijpt dat hier geen eerlijke bedoelingen achter steken en Old Shatterhand wordt aangeworven als speurder naar de ongelukkige ontvoerde. Dit wordt een tocht die zich tot diep in Mexico uitstrekt, met adembenemende belevenissen. Dat de helden het er steeds weer levend afbrengen, vooral wanneer zij tussen strijdende indianenstammen bekneld raken en soms als bijna aan de martelpaal gebonden zijn, grenst dikwijls aan het ongelooflijke, maar steeds werken het geluk en hun einge behendigheid samen. Zo leest ieder met gloeiende oren voort, totdat men de laatste heldendaad uit de reeks als het ware mee beleefd heeft.

Genres: Westerns, Adventure

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 18, 2012

About the author

Karl Friedrich May (also Karol May) was one of the best selling German writers of all time, noted mainly for books set in the American Old West, (best known for the characters of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand) and similar books set in the Orient and Middle East. In addition, he wrote stories set in his native Germany, in China and in South America.

May also wrote poetry and several plays, as well as composing music; he was proficient with several musical instruments. May's musical version of "Ave Maria" became very well known.

Reviews

[Rachel Sharansky Danziger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the Hebrew translation as a child, and was obsessed with it - I loved the characters, I enjoyed the hero's competence, I was deeply moved by the friendship that lies at the core of the book, and excited by the rapid adventures. As an adult, it's harder to read the book as a harmless adventure story - I can't help but know what the kind of expansion west it described actually did to the Native Americans, I can't help but see the gaps in the logic of its hero and the wish-fulfilling impossibility of the competence that thrilled me as a kid. And of course, I can't help but know that it's very far from being a true portrait of the wild west. That said, it IS a very good self portrait of the dreams and desires that animated Karl May's culture, the wishes that culture projected onto noble savages abroad. As such, and even though I can no longer enjoy it as child me could, I find this book a really valuable historical document.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is so hard to read again your childhood books. Especially the ones that you loved the most. When I decided to read the whole bibliography of Karl May again I knew what I’m doing. And the first book about the Wild West that he wrote was… not good. Poorly written characters and tiring narration. Still, it is pretty short and fast to read. Nature descriptions were amazing, it is hard to believe that May never actually saw the Yellowstone Parc.
And well, Old Shatterhand was my first literature crush and it’s not going to change.

[Wiebe Buis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read them all when I was a boy of 10, 11, 12 years old. :-)
BTW The 4 stars come from my memory. I don't know how I would rate them now...
Karl May will probably be cancelled, I think. Or already is. Don't know.

[Anand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one, but like the 2nd best one in the series probably.
Reread for the 3rd time probably