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Pünktchen und Anton

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Die kleine Luise Pogge, alias Pünktchen, schummelt sich allabendlich ohne das Wissen ihrer Eltern auf die Weidendammer Brücke, mitten in Berlin. An der Seite einer merkwürdigen Alten preist sie Streichhölzer an, während ihre wohlhabenden Eltern sie in der Obhut von Fräulein Andacht glauben - doch ist die so harmlos, wie sie tut? Als es brenzlig wird, ist zum Glück Pünktchens Freund Anton zur Stelle.

Eine ungekürzte Lesung des Kästner-Klassikers mit wunderbar komponierter Musik. Unerhört Pastewka liest Kästner!

1935 Atrium Verlag AG, Zürich, Walter Trier (P)2015 Oetinger Media GmbH

206 pages, Hardcover

First published November 9, 1931

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1954 people want to read

About the author

Erich Kästner

299 books609 followers
Erich 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)

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5 stars
3,499 (45%)
4 stars
2,559 (33%)
3 stars
1,302 (16%)
2 stars
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1 star
81 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
Profile Image for Manny.
Author 48 books16.1k followers
December 26, 2015
Berlin, around 1930. Pünktchen Pogge, who must be about ten, is rich; Anton Gast, a little older, is poor. Pünktchen is an intelligent, well-spoken, extremely imaginative girl who lives in a huge apartment in the best part of town. Anton has some serious problems to solve: his father is dead, his mother just barely makes ends meet working as a waitress, but right now can't work at all, since she's convalescing after an operation. Anton has to shop, make dinner and find enough money to pay the rent. He's a resourceful kid, but he's so exhausted that he keeps falling asleep in class.

Somehow, Pünktchen and Anton have ended up being best friends. They see each other every evening on the Weidendammer Bridge. Anton is selling shoelaces to the passers-by, trying to bring in a few pfennigs. And Pünktchen? Weirdly enough, she's out with her crazy nanny, who's pretending to be blind. Pünktchen has put on a filthy dress and is selling boxes of matches. She knows her Hans Christian Andersen and lays on the pathos with a trowel.

The plot is rather complicated, but in the end Anton figures out that the nanny's lowlife boyfriend is planning to burgle Pünktchen's apartment. He makes a well-timed phone call and the thief is apprehended when he turns up. Simultaneously, Pünktchen's father discovers her double life. He finds her doing her spiel at the Weidendammer Bridge and takes her home. That evening, as he for once puts her to bed himself (the crazy nanny has fled), he begs her not to pull any more stunts like that. He's really sorry he doesn't have more time to be with her, but he's busy working as the CEO of a successful company. Someone has to pay for the cook and the chauffeur and the box at the Opera.

"But Mutti doesn't work," says Pünktchen. "And she never has any time for me either. Now you're going to get me another nanny. And who knows how that will end up."

"I understand," says Direktor Pogge. "All the same, would you please promise to tell me the truth in future? I'd feel a lot calmer."

"Alright," says Pünktchen. "If it makes you feel calmer." He gives her a goodnight kiss and turns out the light. As he's closing the door, she adds: "It was terribly interesting though."

Direktor Pogge spends a sleepless night. In the morning he informs the family of the deus ex machina he's come up with: Anton and his poor mother will come and live with them, there will be no new nanny. Pünktchen is overjoyed. Frau Pogge doesn't dare object. And they all lived happily ever after.

Well, says the author as he takes his leave of us, this time everyone got what they deserved. The burglar went to jail, and Anton and his poor mother got a better deal, and Pünktchen was able to see more of her friend. Don't imagine life is always like that. All the same, try and be more like Anton. I'm sorry if he's a bit too much like Emil in Emil und die Detektive. I just think the world could do with more kids like Anton and Emil.

He sounds a little desperate. He saw that Hitler would probably soon take power, and all he could do to oppose him was write morality tales for children. They sold well, but it wasn't enough. Still, he tried. That was more than most people were doing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maren.
273 reviews6 followers
January 1, 2025
Die Bewertung, die ich aus dem Gedächtnis machte, wird wohl so bleiben.
Es ist mein Neujahrstag-Hörbuch 2025, zu anspruchsvolleren Texten bin ich nach einer schrecklich Böllernacht und dadurch bedingten Schlafentzug nicht in der Lage 🙄
Soeben Auftritt Bertha (Köchin), die einen berechtigten Verdacht gegen Pünktchens Hauslehrerin hegt.
Die Spannung steigt 😉

Profile Image for Manybooks.
3,814 reviews101 followers
March 20, 2023
As a six year old, I so much enjoyed having my maternal grandmother read Erich Kästner's Pünktchen und Anton to me (as a treat while she was visiting, and I do seem to remember that greedy little I actually asked for multiple readings). And even now, upon finally rereading Pünktchen und Anton for the first time in many decades, I still do find the author's sense of humour delightful and have also noticed how incredibly, how very alike and similar to Lucy Maud Montgomery's famous Anne Shirley Kästner's Pünktchen Pogge often is, with her imagination, with her joy and delight in playacting, with her fun and laughter (but also and concurrently, how equally akin Pünktchen is to one of my very favourite Astrid Lindgren characters, how similar Pünktchen is to Lindgren's Madicken, with both characters showing such a sweet and heartening combination of imagination, even if it is at times a bit overdone and unbridled, albeit also infused with a deeply rooted sense of social justice and social responsibility, which in Pünktchen Pogge manifests itself mostly in the fact that even though she is a child of wealth and privilege, her very best friend, Anton Gast, is a poor working class lad with an ill single mother, who must care for her and earn money since she has just had a serious medical procedure and is unable to work).

However and that all having been said, and even though I do indeed very much appreciate especially Pünktchen as a character as much now as I did then, as I did when I was a child, well I do have to admit that the entire premise of Pünktchen und Anton as a story in and of itself (with Pünktchen being taken by her governesses Miss Andacht to beg for money to give to her significant other and Anton finally foiling the latter's attempts to burglarise the Pogges' posh Berlin apartment), while I found this all very humorously entertaining, even rather massively exciting as a child reader (or rather as a child listener), as an older adult (and unlike many if not most of the other Erich Kästner novels of my youth), I do now consider particularly Pünktchen und Anton a trifle unbelievable and exaggerated (although if truth be told, the unbelievable and exaggerated scenario of the Pogges' apartment almost being burglarised by the governess's never-do-well boyfriend and the governess, Miss Andacht, even taking Pünktchen out at night to go begging for money and all this unbeknownst to her family, this certainly stridently demonstrates and reiterates just how clueless and lacking in basic common sense especially Pünktchen's mother is, how she certainly spends more time shopping, playing the "große Dame" than taking care of her young daughter and even remotely adequately managing her household).

Four stars and most definitely highly recommended is Pünktchen and Anton (but with the necessary caveat that I have not read ANY of the English language translations to date and thus cannot and will not make any comments on them), but indeed, I am now rounding this novel down to a high three star ranking, as I just cannot (as someone who regularly suffers from both tension headaches and occasional week long migraines) accept Erich Kästner claiming that migraines are not real and bona fide headaches, that migraines are simply psychosomatic excuses used by wealthy upper class women to hide away and not face up to their responsibilities (and while with Pünktchen's mother, this might indeed be the case, I do have a few issues with how generalising with regard to women in general Erich Kästner seems to often be in Pünktchen und Anton, as I also tend to find that aside from Anton's mother and of course Pünktchen herself, many of the female characters who inhabit the pages of this novel seem to have the tendency to appear as rather stereotypically depicted as negative, as whining, as not particularly praiseworthy and positive, and even with Bertha the cook, there is somewhat of an authorial sense of smiling at her with gentle but firm paternalism present, even whilst Erich Kästner is describing her positively as flattening the potential burglar with a conk on the noggin).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Metodi Markov.
1,726 reviews438 followers
January 17, 2021
Като дете, често ми беше скучно в час, даже и в тези посветени на литературата и българския език.

И за да ми минава времето, докато учителката мъчеше двойкаджиите безкрай, прескачах в учебника напред и четях откъсите до които още не бяхме стигнали. Главата за изучаване от "Антон и Точица" съм препрочел навярно стотина пъти (в която Точица и Пифке тренират слепота и са видени от баща ѝ), а не помня нещо да сме я разисквали задълбочено в клас...

Самата книга също съм чел неколкократно и оставам завинаги приятел на Антон, Точица и верния Пифке!

Ерих Кестнер никога не е изгубил детето у себе си и книгите му за деца са чудесни и много важни!!!
Profile Image for Eлина.
312 reviews68 followers
March 4, 2023
За някои книги се радвам, че не съм ги чела като дете, защото сега мога да ги обикна за пръв път като възрастна. Приятелството на Антон и Точица те стопля отвътре, детските им мечти те отвличат от мрачното ежедневие и ти показват, че без значение колко си малък, можеш да постигнеш много. А размишленията на Кестнер в края на всяка глава са онзи глас на разума, който те учи без да те поучава.
Затова при първа възможност ще си взема хартиено копие, защото "Антон и Точица" ще има да се препрочита и в бъдеще.
Profile Image for Maria Yankulova.
995 reviews514 followers
January 25, 2020
Обожавам Ерих Кестнер и съм супер щастлива, че имам възможността да го чета отново с дъщеря ми.
Profile Image for Anka.
1,115 reviews65 followers
February 23, 2019
3.5 Sterne
Ich finde, dass man Pünktchen und Anton schon sein Alter anmerkt. Hier schlägt das noch mal viel stärker durch als bei Kästners anderen Kinderbüchern.
In der heutigen Zeit kann man diese Geschichte seinen Kindern meiner Meinung nach nicht mir nichts, dir nichts in die Hand drücken oder vorlesen, da es nicht ausschließlich Werte vermittelt, die heute noch ins Weltbild passen. Mir geht es dabei vor allem darum, wie Pünktchens Mutter dargestellt wird. Sie ist wie die böse Hexe und Rabenmutter, die ihren Ehemann nicht ausreichend respektiert und ihr Privatleben so auslebt, dass sie kaum Zeit für ihr Kind hat. Als Feministin sieht man das heutzutage natürlich kritisch, sodass man seinem Kind wohl noch erklären müsste, dass das eben der Zeit geschuldet ist, in der das Buch geschrieben wurde.

Ansonsten ist es wieder eine wunderbare Geschichte über Freundschaft, wenn ich auch nicht vollauf begeistert war. Die Nachdenkereien waren aber wirklich gut.
Profile Image for Martine.
182 reviews11 followers
August 6, 2015
read for the 2015 reading challenge: a book from your childhood

Ugh. Ich war sicher eines der wenigen Kinder, die so gut wie nie ein Erich Kästner Buch gelesen haben und ich konnte mich an dieses auch gar nicht mehr daran erinnern, das einzige, was mir im Gedächtnis geblieben war, war Pünktchens Kommentar, es wachse eine Tanne in ihr.
Ich hätte mir villeicht ein anderes Buch vornehmen sollen, eines, an das ich mich tatsächlich erinnern kann, aber ich hatte kein Interesse daran, das Wirtshaus im Spessart zu lesen und ansonsten las ich nur Märchen... als ich Harry Potter entdeckte, war ich schon ein Teenager.
Außerdem war Pünktchen und Anton super kurz. Allerdings nicht sehr erfreulich zu lesen.

Nach dieser Lektüre bin ich absolut kein Freund von Erich Kästner.
Was mich am meisten gestört hat waren seine Nachdenkereien nach jedem Kapitel. Das Konzept an sich wäre ja ganz nett gewesen, wenn diese Nachworte wirklich zum Nachdenken angeregt hätten, aber stattdessen ging es mehr darum, dass Kästner betont welche Charaktere und Handlungsweisen er für besonders toll hält. Dabei macht er sich oftmals nicht die Mühe, eine Situation von einer anderen Perspektive zu sehen.

"Hey, Martine, das ist aber ein Kinderbuch, das geht nicht so tief," mag da manch einer sagen, aber das Problem ist, das ist ein Kinderbuch was noch heute den Kindern von den Schulen ans Herz gelegt wird und da ist es umso wichtiger, dass man das Ganze etwas kritischer betrachtet. Vor allem, da Kästner subtil echt problematische und veraltete Ansichten hegt. Zum Beispiel, dass Jungs nicht kochen lernen sollten, weil das Frauenarbeit ist - dass Anton kochte war als etwas löbliches dargestellt worden, aber nur, weil seine Mutter zu krank war um das selbst tun zu können.

Und die Bemerkung, dass Migräne Kopfschmerzen seien, auch wenn man gar keine hat, war einfach nur widerlich. :/ Oder die Anmerkung, dass weil der Herr Direktor zu gut zu seiner Frau war, habe sie keinen Respekt for ihm.

Joah, auf den ganzen Sexismus hätte ich echt verzichten können.
Profile Image for Nadja.
1,913 reviews85 followers
September 1, 2018
Mit jedem Buch liebe ich Erich Kästner mehr! Pünktchen und Anton ist eine so tolle Geschichte, wie immer schreibt Herr Kästner weise und zeitlos. «Glaubt ihr nicht auch, daß die Armut leichter abgeschafft werden könnte, wenn die Reichen schon als Kinder wüßten, wie schlimm es ist, arm zu sein? Glaubt ihr nicht, daßsich dann die reichen Kinder sagen: Wenn wir mal groß sind und die Banken und Rittergüter und Fabriken unseren Vätern besitzen, dann sollen es die Arbeiter besser haben!»
Profile Image for Tanja.
1,098 reviews
June 8, 2015
I am thrilled to see some of my childhood favorites (I am originally from Germany) by author Erich Kaestner republished in English in these, judging from the cover art, beautiful editions. The translator has done a wonderful job in maintaining the author's (German) voice. The story itself, filled with a cast of very unique and loveable characters, is a timeless and universal one about friendship, family and belonging with a good dose of humor and suspense. Dot is one of those very special characters who finds a way into the reader's heart on the very first pages as she is the friend we all wish to have or want to be for someone else. Young readers will also appreciate the author's afterthoughts which are interspersed throughout the novel. Originally published in 1931, I can imagine this book to make a great read-aloud and book club title as it lends itself for conversations around how some values and beliefs change over time (for example regarding the role of women in society in general and their image in literature in particular) while others such as honesty and caring for one another seem timeless. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Gecko.
24 reviews25 followers
March 24, 2016
Erich Kästner hat einen Ton in seinen Kindergeschichten der mir sehr gefällt. Er schreibt mit den Kindern auf Augenhöhe und nimmt sie dennoch ernst genug ihnen auch ein paar Gedanken mit auf den Weg zu geben. Sein Ziel, ein Bewusstsein für Gut und Böse zu schaffen und gleichzeitig nicht die Perspektive zu verlieren und genau zu wissen, das Lügen nicht immer schlecht ist, das ist der weise Mann, der dort spricht... der sich auch nicht davor scheut Erwachsenen den Spiegel vor zu halten.
Da ist ein Kind in diesem Mann, das nie gestorben ist.

Zurecht ein Kinderbuchklassiker der deutschen Literatur.
Profile Image for Anna.
1 review1 follower
August 30, 2014
One of the favourite books from my childhood. It fascinated me so much, that I've even read it several times. A truly charming book that gives insight not only in the world of child fantasies and friendship, but also discloses issues of poverty, loneliness and self-sacrifice. A bit naive and idealistic, but clearly an enjoyable read!
11 reviews
July 2, 2020
Erich Kästner hat eine besondere Art zu schreiben. Was mir mit am besten gefällt sind seine „kleinen Nachdenkereien“. Den Leser fordert er hierbei zum Mitdenken und entweder direkt oder indirekt zu moralischem Handeln auf.
Die Geschichte von Pünktchen und ihrem Freund Anton ist wirklich herzerwärmend und ich musste hin und wieder ziemlich schmunzeln, weil Pünktchen so eine wundervolle Fantasie hat und Anton ein herrlich ehrlicher und einfach guter Mensch ist.
Profile Image for Myprivatebookclub.
797 reviews8 followers
November 23, 2019
Това беше една от любимите ми книги като дете. Сборникът съдържаше три книги на Ерих Кестнер, книгата беше скъсана от четене и липсваха страниците от историята за близначките Луиза и Лоте. Но това не беше причина да чета безброй пътиисторията на Антон и Точица, кактои историята Хвърчащата класна стая.

Не сте ли съгласни, че това са романчета не само за деца, но и за възрастни? Обожавам тези ценни книги, които учат децата без да ги поучават и припомнят важните неща на възрастните, без да ги критикуват.

Отделни почести за Ерих Кестнер, толкова комичен и сериозен стил в едно, че човек не може никога да се наслади. Нямам търпение да препрепрепрепрочета останалите му творения.

Точица е прекрасна особа, прилича ми на Пипи. Антон е толкова отговорен и сериозен, че на чивек му иде да му припомни, че има още време да изживее детството си.

В тези книга никога не се налага чивек дълго да се чудикои да добрите и кои лошите.

Пожелавам си да чета тази книжка отново някой ден с децата си.
Profile Image for Konstantina.
Author 2 books82 followers
September 3, 2016
I was impressed by Erich Kästner. Many authors try to write children's books without being didactic, but in the end they are just didactic. Erich Kästner didn't try anything.
I suppose that some people will find boring the pages with his moral lessons or how alike Anton and Emil are, but i think that the book was brilliant. Pünktchen's absurd sense of humor is unique and she is definitely one of the most genuine children's characters i have read.
Profile Image for Leah.
527 reviews70 followers
May 27, 2016
Ein schönes Buch über Freundschaft und Zusammenhalt.
Profile Image for Hanieh Sadat Shobeiri .
210 reviews6 followers
May 27, 2023
فضاسازی و کاراکترپردازی کستنر نظیر نداره ⁦>⁠.⁠<⁩
یه قسمت از کتاب، راجع به آقای پوگه می‌گفت: «او با همه مهربان بود، به همین خاطر هیچکس بهش احترام نمی‌گذاشت.»
واقعاً که خیلی‌هامون این جمله رو با تمام وجودمون درک کردیم :))
Profile Image for Aldi.
1,400 reviews106 followers
August 27, 2016
Oh je, das mit dem Lieblings-Kinderklassiker nachlesen soll ich vielleicht mal wieder bleiben lassen. Die Story selber ist ja immer noch gut, aber Kästners zeigefingerwackelnde Moralpredigten in den Zwischenkapiteln sind mittlerweile wirklich unerträglich (ja, ich weiß, hätte sie einfach überspringen sollen, aber... Wörter! In einem Buch! Das kann ich nicht!)
Profile Image for braekli.
18 reviews3 followers
December 7, 2023
Eine meiner Lieblingskindheitsgeschichten, die ich nun nochmal mit anderen Augen betrachte 🥲 Bei einem Buch, welches 1931 erstmals erschienen ist, ist es vermutlich leider nicht anders zu erwarten, aber dieser Adultismus und Sexismus und die furchtbaren Moralpredigten in den Zwischenkapiteln waren einfach nur schwer auszuhalten!
Profile Image for Marina Nova.
329 reviews25 followers
October 3, 2022
В детските книги има толкова много истини... Радвам се, че прочетох "Антон и Точица" сега. Толкова красиво написана история, толкова истинска и вълшебна. И много от поученията са такива, които да си напомняш всеки ден. Прекрасна!
Profile Image for Doroti.
553 reviews
November 16, 2013
Нечовешките деЦки забавления, макар че май Двойната Лотхен ми беше по-любима :)
Profile Image for Guguk.
1,343 reviews81 followers
October 3, 2016
Suka sekali!!

Cerita anak-anak yang seru dan menyenangkan, dan cara bercerita yang ngebedain antara cerita utama dan bahan kontemplasi itu kerasa kocak dan menarik~
Profile Image for Inese Okonova.
502 reviews59 followers
February 25, 2025
Bērnībā šī Kestnera grāmatiņa patika pat labāk par "Emīlu" un "Divām Lotiņām". Tagad izlasīju bērniem, un tik ļoti vairs nepatika. Tā gadās. Vērtējumu gan nemainīšu. Lai paliek tā, kā domāju toreiz.
Profile Image for gufo_bufo.
379 reviews36 followers
January 10, 2018
In italiano "Antonio e Virgoletta". Una delizia che non ho più sottomano.
Profile Image for Inga.
1,593 reviews63 followers
January 25, 2021
Erich Kästners Klassiker Pünktchen und Anton erzählt von der Freundschaft zweier ungleicher Kinder - die freche Pünktchen ist Tochter eines wohlhabenden Direktors, Anton der Sohn einer alleinerziehenden und kranken Mutter. Und dennoch ist nicht eindeutig zu sagen, wer von den beiden Glück oder Pech hat, denn die Eltern von Pünktchen nehmen sich kaum Zeit für sie, während Anton erfolgreich sein eigenes Leben und das der Mutter organisiert und dabei über sich hinauswächst.
In seinen Kommentaren nach jedem der 16 Kapitel bemüht sich der Autor um Reflexion des Geschehenen, misst das Verhalten und die Charakterstärke aller seiner Figuren an einem Idealbild, das auch heute noch Bestand hat. Es geht um große Dinge wie Gerechtigkeit, Mut, Ehrlichkeit oder Freundlichkeit gegenüber allen. Und doch wirkt Kästners Text auch heute nicht altklug oder vermessen, seine Werte haben Gültigkeit und seine humorvolle und einfache Art, sie den jungen Lesern seiner Zeit zu vermitteln, funktioniert auch heute noch. Und trotz aller gesellschaftlich schwierigen Aspekte behält die Geschichte eine Leichtigkeit, die den witzigen Charakteren einerseits und andererseits den flapsigen und witzigen Dialogen entspringt, ein bisschen Berliner Schnauze ist natürlich auch dabei.
Mir hat Kästners Erzählstil und auch die Geschichte viel Freude gemacht.
Profile Image for Isabel.
504 reviews12 followers
January 3, 2020
Ein tolles, freches Kinderbuch, das rührend über Freundschaft erzählt. Einzige die Kommentierung von Kästner nach jedem Kapitel nerven, weil sie sehr oberlehrerhaft daher kommen.
Profile Image for Laura.
156 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2024
3.5 ☆
Das Vorwort ist ein absoluter Banger
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