The Neverending Story
Encyclopedia
The Neverending Story is a German fantasy novel
by Michael Ende
, first published in 1979. The standard English translation, by Ralph Manheim
, was first published in 1983. The novel was later adapted into several films
.
The majority of the story takes place in the parallel world of Fantastica (Phantásien in the original German version; referred to as Fantasia in the films), a world being destroyed by the Nothing, which represents and constitutes people's lack of imagination in the real world. The first protagonist is a young warrior, who is asked by the Steward of The Empress of Fantastica, to set off and find a way to stop The Nothing. The other protagonist is a boy from the real world, a reader of the novel with the same title, for whom the story gradually becomes more and more realistic. Like other works by Ende, The Neverending Story is influenced by anthroposophic
thought.
The book begins in Fantastica, when a "will-o'-the-wisp
" goes to ask the Childlike Empress for help against the Nothing, which is spreading over the land. The Empress is ill, which is believed to be the cause of the Nothing (or vice versa); she sends the only person that can stop the Nothing, a boy warrior named Atreyu, to find a cure for her. Atreyu is a brave person, being considered a warrior even though he is a young boy of Bastian's age.
While on his quest, Atreyu meets characters such as Morla the Aged One, the incorporeal oracle Uyulala, and the gnomes Urgl and Engywook. Atreyu also meets Falkor, the luckdragon, who helps him along the way. After Atreyu and Falkor get in the way of a fight of the Wind Giants, Atreyu gets thrown off Falkor's back and ends up in Spook City, Atreyu meets Gmork the werewolf, who has been following Atreyu since the early days of his quest, intending to kill him. In the course of his quest, Atreyu learns about the true nature of Fantastica and the Nothing: Fantastica is a representation of the dreams and fantasies of the real world; the Nothing and the sickness of the Childlike Empress are the effects of the lies humans use in their greed for power; it is the denial of dreams and fantasy which is destroying Fantastica. The only thing that can save Fantastica is a human child, who must give her a new name to start again the cycle of life in Fantastica.
Falkor and Atreyu return to the Ivory Tower, where the Childlike Empress lives. But since Bastian, in his lack of confidence, hesitates to take the step into Fantastica, the Childlike Empress confronts him with the fact that whatever he may think, he has already become part of the Neverending Story, and he must carry out his part in it. And Bastian does so by crying out the name he has chosen for the Empress: 'Moonchild'.
Bastian comes to Fantastica and meets the Empress; she asks him to help re-build Fantastica with his imagination, and he subsequently has many adventures of his own in his new world. With the help of AURYN, a medallion that links him to the Empress, that gives him power over all the inhabitants of Fantastica and grants all of the boy's wishes, Bastian explores the Desert of Colors, battles the evil witch Xayide, and meets the three Deep Thinkers. Bastian becomes friends with Atreyu, but as Bastian continues to use the AURYN, every wish he makes takes away one of his memories and he begins to lose his own true self, and thus Atreyu becomes the more worried about him. The growing tension between the two is exploited by Xayide, who drives Bastian to a lust for power. Bastian is defeated in his attempt to have himself crowned as a Childlike Emperor by Atreyu, who leads a rebellion against him. Only when Bastian stumbles into a colony of humans who were trapped in Fantastica after having lost all their memories does he realize what has nearly become of him.
Bastian sets out to find his own true wish - the only thing he can wish for without losing himself. After he loses his remaining memories, Atreyu helps him, and Bastian then has his one true wish fulfilled and manages to cure his father as well. After he returns home, he decides to return the book to its owner, Carl Conrad Coreander, but the book disappears after Bastian returns from Fantastica. He explains this to Carl Conrad Coreander, who is interested in Bastian's adventures - he has been to Fantastica himself once, as it turns out - and asks him to keep in touch to talk about their respective experiences. As Bastian leaves to meet his father, Coreander muses that Bastian will indeed help others to get to Fantastica and help carry over more hopes into the human world.
in The Neverending Story. In the novel, AURYN is always spelled in capital letters and is revered by all Fantasians, referred to as "The Gem" and "The Glory". It is a symbol of its mistress, the Childlike Empress, who is also called "The Golden-Eyed Commander of Wishes" in reference to her relationship with AURYN. While the book makes noteworthy the point that the image of AURYN is on its "cover(s)", it does not actually refer to it as AURYN.
A common misconception is that AURYN is a simple magical object that grants wishes. The truth is that AURYN's power flows from the Childlike Empress and that it can only be used with her permission. The powerful amulet cannot be used against her and if she does not grant the use of it to someone they are unable to influence AURYN.
The name of the amulet is not the same as that of a simple inanimate object. The word 'the' never precedes that amulet's name (i.e., never "the AURYN"). Instead, it is used simply as AURYN, a proper noun like a person's name.
Two mythological serpents, symmetrical, bite at the other's tail. In the book, they form an oval, and are not intertwined. One serpent is white and one is black. Each has an eye to correspond to the color of the book's print, red and green. It may be noted that the film version has the two snakes in an "Infinity Knot", a kind of grief knot
which looks like a more intricate variation of the figure "8" infinity symbol and another sign of ouroboros
. The two snakes represent the dual nature of the two worlds,
Fantasia (German: Phantásien) and Reality, but also the twin nature of their mutual creation and destruction. On the back of AURYN are these words:
AURYN helps guide Atreyu through Fantasia in his quest to find a cure for the ailing Childlike Empress, and in turn defeat the Nothing. It serves him clandestinely, but does return him to the Ivory Tower
. Although Atreyu believes himself to have failed in finding the human child past the borders of Fantasia, the Childlike Empress informs him to the contrary and that indeed the boy had been with him all along.
In the hands of the Childlike Empress, AURYN displays greater powers even in the face of the Nothing. She releases seven spirits to serve her as she ventures across her tattered realm to find the Old Man of Wandering Mountain. They carry her chariot and provide a haven for Atreyu and Falkor within.
Bastian christens the Childlike Empress with her new name. She presents him with AURYN; her only request being that he follows the instructions written on the back. While it grants him the power to make wishes and imagine more of Fantasia, it drains him of his memories which are his only way back to his world. Bastian searches for the same obscure boundaries of Fantasia, only to realize it is within AURYN itself.
In the mystical interior of AURYN, two gargantuan serpent statues stand sentry, one shining brighter than white, the other darker than black. They guard the Waters of Life, a waterfall and pool that serve as the exit from Fantasia. The statues refuse Bastian's passage, for he had left many stories unfinished in Fantasia. Atreyu, however, agrees to undertake the quest, which allows Bastian to return to his world. When Bastian touches the waters, their truthful properties dissolve the illusion of his glamour wishes, and he returns to being a fat little boy, instead of a Fantasian prince, but this time he has learned to love himself as he truly is. At this point the snakes of AURYN allow him to return to his world.
writes in a review that "Imaginative readers know the story doesn't end when the covers close; the magic to be found in books is eternal, and Ende's message comes through vividly."
"The two parts of the novel repeat each other", as Maria Nikolajeva states in her book The Rhetoric of Character in Children's Literature, in that Bastian becomes a hero but then in the second half he "acts not even as an antihero but as a false hero of the fairy tale." The characters of Bastian and Atreyu can also be seen as mirror halves.
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...
by Michael Ende
Michael Ende
Michael Andreas Helmuth Ende was a German author of fantasy and children's literature. He is best known for his epic fantasy work The Neverending Story; other famous works include Momo and Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver...
, first published in 1979. The standard English translation, by Ralph Manheim
Ralph Manheim
Ralph Frederick Manheim was an American translator of German and French literature, as well as occasional works from Dutch, Polish and Hungarian...
, was first published in 1983. The novel was later adapted into several films
The NeverEnding Story (film)
The NeverEnding Story is a 1984 German-American epic fantasy film based on the novel of the same name written by Michael Ende. The film was directed and co-written by Wolfgang Petersen and starred Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway and Tami Stronach. At the time of its release, it was the most...
.
The majority of the story takes place in the parallel world of Fantastica (Phantásien in the original German version; referred to as Fantasia in the films), a world being destroyed by the Nothing, which represents and constitutes people's lack of imagination in the real world. The first protagonist is a young warrior, who is asked by the Steward of The Empress of Fantastica, to set off and find a way to stop The Nothing. The other protagonist is a boy from the real world, a reader of the novel with the same title, for whom the story gradually becomes more and more realistic. Like other works by Ende, The Neverending Story is influenced by anthroposophic
Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy, a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world accessible to direct experience through inner development...
thought.
Plot summary
The book centers on a boy, Bastian Balthazar Bux, who is neglected by his father (who has sunken into despair after his wife's death) and is bullied by his schoolmates. Whilst running from some of them, Bastian bursts into the antique book store of Carl Conrad Coreander. Bastian steals a book from the store called The Neverending Story which Coreander has been reading; he hides in his school's attic, where he proceeds to read the story through the rest of the day and the night, not realizing that he has effectively become a part of it.The book begins in Fantastica, when a "will-o'-the-wisp
Will-o'-the-wisp
A will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus , also called a "will-o'-wisp", "jack-o'-lantern" , "hinkypunk", "corpse candle", "ghost-light", "spook-light", "fairy light", "friar's lantern", "hobby lantern", "ghost orb", or simply "wisp", is a ghostly light or lights sometimes seen at night or twilight over...
" goes to ask the Childlike Empress for help against the Nothing, which is spreading over the land. The Empress is ill, which is believed to be the cause of the Nothing (or vice versa); she sends the only person that can stop the Nothing, a boy warrior named Atreyu, to find a cure for her. Atreyu is a brave person, being considered a warrior even though he is a young boy of Bastian's age.
While on his quest, Atreyu meets characters such as Morla the Aged One, the incorporeal oracle Uyulala, and the gnomes Urgl and Engywook. Atreyu also meets Falkor, the luckdragon, who helps him along the way. After Atreyu and Falkor get in the way of a fight of the Wind Giants, Atreyu gets thrown off Falkor's back and ends up in Spook City, Atreyu meets Gmork the werewolf, who has been following Atreyu since the early days of his quest, intending to kill him. In the course of his quest, Atreyu learns about the true nature of Fantastica and the Nothing: Fantastica is a representation of the dreams and fantasies of the real world; the Nothing and the sickness of the Childlike Empress are the effects of the lies humans use in their greed for power; it is the denial of dreams and fantasy which is destroying Fantastica. The only thing that can save Fantastica is a human child, who must give her a new name to start again the cycle of life in Fantastica.
Falkor and Atreyu return to the Ivory Tower, where the Childlike Empress lives. But since Bastian, in his lack of confidence, hesitates to take the step into Fantastica, the Childlike Empress confronts him with the fact that whatever he may think, he has already become part of the Neverending Story, and he must carry out his part in it. And Bastian does so by crying out the name he has chosen for the Empress: 'Moonchild'.
Bastian comes to Fantastica and meets the Empress; she asks him to help re-build Fantastica with his imagination, and he subsequently has many adventures of his own in his new world. With the help of AURYN, a medallion that links him to the Empress, that gives him power over all the inhabitants of Fantastica and grants all of the boy's wishes, Bastian explores the Desert of Colors, battles the evil witch Xayide, and meets the three Deep Thinkers. Bastian becomes friends with Atreyu, but as Bastian continues to use the AURYN, every wish he makes takes away one of his memories and he begins to lose his own true self, and thus Atreyu becomes the more worried about him. The growing tension between the two is exploited by Xayide, who drives Bastian to a lust for power. Bastian is defeated in his attempt to have himself crowned as a Childlike Emperor by Atreyu, who leads a rebellion against him. Only when Bastian stumbles into a colony of humans who were trapped in Fantastica after having lost all their memories does he realize what has nearly become of him.
Bastian sets out to find his own true wish - the only thing he can wish for without losing himself. After he loses his remaining memories, Atreyu helps him, and Bastian then has his one true wish fulfilled and manages to cure his father as well. After he returns home, he decides to return the book to its owner, Carl Conrad Coreander, but the book disappears after Bastian returns from Fantastica. He explains this to Carl Conrad Coreander, who is interested in Bastian's adventures - he has been to Fantastica himself once, as it turns out - and asks him to keep in touch to talk about their respective experiences. As Bastian leaves to meet his father, Coreander muses that Bastian will indeed help others to get to Fantastica and help carry over more hopes into the human world.
Characters
- Atreyu (German Atréju)
- Bastian Balthazar Bux (German Bastian Balthasar Bux)
- The Childlike Empress/Moonchild (German Die Kindliche Kaiserin/Mondenkind)
- Falkor, the luckdragon (German Fuchur, der Glücksdrache)
- Carl Conrad Coreander (German Karl Konrad Koreander)
AURYN
AURYN is a mystical talismanAmulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
in The Neverending Story. In the novel, AURYN is always spelled in capital letters and is revered by all Fantasians, referred to as "The Gem" and "The Glory". It is a symbol of its mistress, the Childlike Empress, who is also called "The Golden-Eyed Commander of Wishes" in reference to her relationship with AURYN. While the book makes noteworthy the point that the image of AURYN is on its "cover(s)", it does not actually refer to it as AURYN.
A common misconception is that AURYN is a simple magical object that grants wishes. The truth is that AURYN's power flows from the Childlike Empress and that it can only be used with her permission. The powerful amulet cannot be used against her and if she does not grant the use of it to someone they are unable to influence AURYN.
The name of the amulet is not the same as that of a simple inanimate object. The word 'the' never precedes that amulet's name (i.e., never "the AURYN"). Instead, it is used simply as AURYN, a proper noun like a person's name.
Two mythological serpents, symmetrical, bite at the other's tail. In the book, they form an oval, and are not intertwined. One serpent is white and one is black. Each has an eye to correspond to the color of the book's print, red and green. It may be noted that the film version has the two snakes in an "Infinity Knot", a kind of grief knot
Grief knot
A grief knot is a knot which combines the features of a granny knot and a thief knot, producing a result which is not generally useful for working purposes. Its name is an example of a portmanteau, from granny and thief.The grief knot resembles the granny knot, but tied in trans form as opposed...
which looks like a more intricate variation of the figure "8" infinity symbol and another sign of ouroboros
Ouroboros
The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. The name originates from within Greek language; οὐρά meaning "tail" and βόρος meaning "eating", thus "he who eats the tail"....
. The two snakes represent the dual nature of the two worlds,
Fantasia (German: Phantásien) and Reality, but also the twin nature of their mutual creation and destruction. On the back of AURYN are these words:
"Do What You Wish" (German: "Tu, was du willst").
AURYN helps guide Atreyu through Fantasia in his quest to find a cure for the ailing Childlike Empress, and in turn defeat the Nothing. It serves him clandestinely, but does return him to the Ivory Tower
Ivory Tower
The term Ivory Tower originates in the Biblical Song of Solomon , and was later used as an epithet for Mary.From the 19th century it has been used to designate a world or atmosphere where intellectuals engage in pursuits that are disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life...
. Although Atreyu believes himself to have failed in finding the human child past the borders of Fantasia, the Childlike Empress informs him to the contrary and that indeed the boy had been with him all along.
In the hands of the Childlike Empress, AURYN displays greater powers even in the face of the Nothing. She releases seven spirits to serve her as she ventures across her tattered realm to find the Old Man of Wandering Mountain. They carry her chariot and provide a haven for Atreyu and Falkor within.
Bastian christens the Childlike Empress with her new name. She presents him with AURYN; her only request being that he follows the instructions written on the back. While it grants him the power to make wishes and imagine more of Fantasia, it drains him of his memories which are his only way back to his world. Bastian searches for the same obscure boundaries of Fantasia, only to realize it is within AURYN itself.
In the mystical interior of AURYN, two gargantuan serpent statues stand sentry, one shining brighter than white, the other darker than black. They guard the Waters of Life, a waterfall and pool that serve as the exit from Fantasia. The statues refuse Bastian's passage, for he had left many stories unfinished in Fantasia. Atreyu, however, agrees to undertake the quest, which allows Bastian to return to his world. When Bastian touches the waters, their truthful properties dissolve the illusion of his glamour wishes, and he returns to being a fat little boy, instead of a Fantasian prince, but this time he has learned to love himself as he truly is. At this point the snakes of AURYN allow him to return to his world.
Reception
Susan L. Nickerson of Library JournalLibrary Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
writes in a review that "Imaginative readers know the story doesn't end when the covers close; the magic to be found in books is eternal, and Ende's message comes through vividly."
"The two parts of the novel repeat each other", as Maria Nikolajeva states in her book The Rhetoric of Character in Children's Literature, in that Bastian becomes a hero but then in the second half he "acts not even as an antihero but as a false hero of the fairy tale." The characters of Bastian and Atreyu can also be seen as mirror halves.
Related novels
In September 2003, AVAinternational GmbH began publishing "Legends of Fantastica". Originally planned as a 12 part series of novels, only 6 have been published as of 2004. They are:- Tanja Kinkel: "Der König der Narren" (The King of Fools) -published September 1, 2003
- Ulrike Schweikert: "Die Seele der Nacht" (The Soul of the Night) - published September 1, 2003
- Ralf IsauRalf IsauRalf Isau is a German author of fantasy novels, often archaeology-themed. He received the 1997 Buxtehuder Bulle for his novels Das Museum der gestohlenen Erinnerungen and Das Netz der Schattenspiele....
: "Die geheime Bibliothek des Thaddäus Tillmann Trutz" (The Secret Library of Thaddaeus Tillman Trutz) -published September 1, 2003 - Wolfram Fleischhauer: "Die Verschwörung der Engel" (The Angels' Plot) -published March 18, 2004
- Peter FreundPeter FreundPeter George Oliver Freund is a professor emeritus of theoretical physics at the University of Chicago. He has made important contributions to particle physics and string theory. He is also active as a writer.-Biography:...
: "Die Stadt der vergessenen Träume" (The City of Forgotten Dreams) -published March 18, 2004 - Peter Dempf: "Die Herrin der Wörter" (Empress of the Words) -published September 23, 2004
Adaptations
- The NeverEnding StoryThe NeverEnding Story (film)The NeverEnding Story is a 1984 German-American epic fantasy film based on the novel of the same name written by Michael Ende. The film was directed and co-written by Wolfgang Petersen and starred Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway and Tami Stronach. At the time of its release, it was the most...
was the first film adaptation of the novel. It was released in 1984, directed by Wolfgang PetersenWolfgang PetersenWolfgang Petersen is a German film director and screenwriter. His films include The NeverEnding Story, Enemy Mine, Outbreak, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, The Perfect Storm, Troy, and Poseidon...
and starring Barret OliverBarret OliverBarret Spencer Oliver is an American actor and photographer. He is best known for his role as Bastian Bux in the film adaptation of Michael Ende's novel The NeverEnding Story.-Career:...
as Bastian, Noah Hathaway as Atreyu, and Tami StronachTami StronachTamara "Tami" Stronach is a dancer and choreographer who has also worked as an actress.Stronach was born to Israeli and Scottish parents. Her father, David Stronach, is a renowned archeologist of ruins of Ancient Persia and a professor at UC Berkeley...
as the Childlike Empress. The music was composed by Klaus DoldingerKlaus DoldingerKlaus Doldinger is a German saxophonist, especially well-known for jazz and as a composer of film music. He was the recipient of 1997's Bavarian Film Awards .-Life and work:...
. It covered only the first half of the book, ending at the point where Bastian enters Fantasia. Ende requested they halt production or change the movie's name, as it had drastically deviated from his novel; when they did neither, he sued them and subsequently lost the case.
- A text adventure computer game was released by Ocean SoftwareOcean SoftwareThe British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
in 1985 for the ZX SpectrumZX SpectrumThe ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Amstrad CPCAmstrad CPCThe Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Commodore 64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Atari 800.
- The NeverEnding Story II: The Next ChapterThe NeverEnding Story II: The Next ChapterThe NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter is a 1990 fantasy film and sequel to The NeverEnding Story. It was directed by George T. Miller and starred Jonathan Brandis as Bastian Bux, Kenny Morrison as Atreyu, and Alexandra Johnes as the Childlike Empress. The only actor to return from the first...
, directed by George T. MillerGeorge T. MillerGeorge Trumbull Miller is a Scottish-born Australian film and television director and producer. He has directed The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Man from Snowy River, Prey and Zeus and Roxanne.-External links:...
and starring Jonathan BrandisJonathan BrandisJonathan Gregory Brandis was an American actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Brandis was born in Danbury, Connecticut, the only child of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model and...
and Kenny MorrisonKenny MorrisonKenny Morrison is an American actor who was born in Los Angeles, California on December 31, 1974. He is of Spanish, Filipino, and Irish descent. He has a brother, Kai, and step sister, Alexandra. His father is Quinn, and mother, Kip....
, was released in 1990. It used a number of plot elements from the second half of Ende's novel, but told an essentially new tale.
- A computer game based on the second movie was released in 1990 by Merimpex Ltd under their Linel label and re-released by System 4 for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.
- The NeverEnding Story IIIThe NeverEnding Story IIIThe NeverEnding Story III: Return to Fantasia is a 1994 film and the second sequel to the fantasy film The NeverEnding Story...
, starring Jason James RichterJason James RichterJason James Richter is an American actor.At the age of three, he and his family moved to Hawaii, where a Japanese casting agency discovered him and signed him up for three TV spots...
, Melody KayMelody KayMelody Kay is an American actress. She starred in several movies including Camp Nowhere and The NeverEnding Story III. Melody was born in Michigan and did local theater. She was in Life commercials and acted on and off Broadway. Melody is married with 2 children and has one sister.-External links:...
and Jack BlackJack Black (actor)Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black is an American comedian, actor and musician. He makes up one half of the comedy and satirical rock duo Tenacious D. The group has two albums as well as a television series and a film. His acting career is extensive, starring primarily as bumbling, cocky, but internally...
, was released in 1994. This film was based only upon the characters from Ende's book, having a completely new story.
- The 1995 animated seriesThe Neverending Story (TV series)The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux is an animated television series, produced by CineVox , Ellipse , and Nelvana , aired for one season on HBO, ran for 26 episodes, and loosely based on Michael Ende's book, The Neverending Story .In the animated series, the...
was produced by Nelvana, under the title of The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux. The animated series ran for two years, and had a total of twenty episodes. Director duties were split between Marc Boreal and Mike Fallows. Each episode focused on Bastian's further adventures in Fantastica, largely different from his further adventures in the book, but occasionally containing elements of them.
- Tales from the Neverending StoryTales from the Neverending StoryTales from the Neverending Story is a one season-only TV series that is loosely based on Michael Ende's novel The Neverending Story, produced and distributed by Muse Entertainment, and aired on HBO in 2002. It was aired as 4 two-hour television movies in the US and as a TV series of 13 one-hour...
was a live-action series that aired on the Hallmark Channel that re-told the story as an ongoing series lasting 13 episodes. The series was also re-edited to form a four part miniseries.
- The Neverending Story has also been adapted to the dramatic play, ballet, and operatic media in Germany. The scores to both the opera and the ballet versions were composed by Siegfried MatthusSiegfried MatthusSiegfried Matthus is a German composer and opera director living in Berlin and is one of Germany's most often performed contemporary composers.- Biography :Matthus attended secondary school in Rheinsberg, followed by studies at the Hochschule für Musik...
.
- A German dramatized audiobook under the title The Neverending Story|Die unendliche Geschichte (Karussell/Universal Music Group 1984, directed by Anke Beckert, narrated by Harald Leipnitz, music by Frank DuvalFrank DuvalFrank Duval is a German composer, conductor, producer, songwriter and singer.Born into an artists' family, he studied as an actor and dancer, but also sang with his sister, Maria. By the '60s, Duval was also composing music, both orchestral and pop, and his debut soundtrack, for an episode of the...
, 3 parts on LP and MC, 2 parts on CD)
- In 2001, the third video game adaptation AURYN Quest was developed by the German studio Attaction.