Krabat

Otfried Preussler has written many lovely children's books, but only one Krabat. Why not more books of this kind? Because he lived only once. To write such a book, one must be a survivor of the Titanic. Preussler encapsulates the experiences of a whole life and the lives of generations before him between two covers. He tells in a straightforward yet profound way about life and death, love, friendship, and injustice, and how a person gets entangled in the snares of evil and yet finds a way out. Felix Hornstein presents a book about the book, demonstrating that Preussler's Krabat is a complete cosmos: literature, philosophy, theology, and history in the form of a youth novel, an interpretation of existence that leaves no topic untouched and yet offers hope for living and thriving in this world. He shows that Krabat can be a companion for a lifetime. The aim of the book is to unlock previously unrecognized depths of this work and to elevate the treasure of this unusual yet often underestimated work due to its classification as a children's book. The theme is the innocent-guilty entanglement of a person in a world turned upside down without God and their redemption through a love that points beyond itself to heaven. Thus, it is primarily about uncovering the religious cosmos that reveals itself upon closer inspection in his book. For all who love Preussler's Krabat and want to know more, for classroom instruction, but even more so for all those searching for God and the right way to live in a twisted world during this time. A book about the book that is suitable for finally giving Preussler the rank and recognition he deserves - as one of the greats in literary history.