Comments on: Max und Moritz

Max und Moritz

Ljubljana — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 16:13:19 -0800

Max und Moritz • The online edition of Wilhelm Busch's classic children's story boasts the original illustrations from 1865. This tale of two mischievous boys and their brutal deaths is considered a precursor to the modern comic strip. (More 19th-Century German stories here.)

By: Kafkaesque

Kafkaesque — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 17:15:37 -0800

My wife introduced me to Max und Moritz. She's German and was brought up with the little deathmonkeys. As far as I remember, her favorite story involved them getting baked into a pie or something. Tangentially, there was until very recently a German bakery round the corner from my home that featured paintings of Max and Moritz all over the walls. Having learned all about them from the wife, I proudly said to the very German counterfrau "Hey! That's Max and Moritz, right?" Germans can say "duh" without saying anything at all. See also: the added and exceptional trauma of Die Struwwelpeter, including such classics as "boy who sucks thumb has thumb cut off with hedge clippers". Yay for fun!

By: scody

scody — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 17:18:32 -0800

[this is good.]

By: iconomy

iconomy — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 17:50:45 -0800

What a great site! I love Heinrich Hoffmann's illustrations. Stories in which bratty children get their comeuppance are so much fun. Thanks, Ljubljana.

By: MrBaliHai

MrBaliHai — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 18:41:39 -0800

Wonderful, thanks for this. My mother used to read me Max und Moritz, and I've always found that macabre Teutonic childrearing sensibility oddly endearing.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 18:44:26 -0800

Terrific link! And what iconomy said. I also like the way you can view these in dual languages side by side - what a fun way to practice language skills. Ljubljana, thank you!

By: interrobang

interrobang — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 19:15:22 -0800

kafkaesque: a friend of mine recited that poem to me in German in High School (and told me what it was about), and I've been wondering what it was and how it went ever since. Thank you.

By: konolia

konolia — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 19:43:53 -0800

That explains the name of the local German bakery.

By: plep

plep — Wed, 06 Aug 2003 23:07:56 -0800

[this is really good]

By: Galvatron

Galvatron — Thu, 07 Aug 2003 18:22:46 -0800

Oh man, I know I've got a copy somewhere. *rummages*