Dragon Rider (novel)
Dragon Rider is the title of a fantasy novel by the German author Cornelia Funke from the year 1997. The book won the title " Dragon Rider" in September 2004, first place in the New York Times bestseller list and is thus already the third bestselling novel by Cornelia Funke USA.
Contents and action
Like most books by Cornelia Funke Dragon Rider plays at various locations in the real world, but this is complemented by fantastic elements. In Dragon Rider the earth next to humans and animals of various classic mythical creatures is populated, the existence of which the majority of humanity but knows nothing. The main role of this play in the novel, while the silver dragon - a lizard -like, winged, intelligent and generally benign creatures with silvery scales. They draw their power from the light of the moon and are able to spew blue fire, which has a healing effect on other living things. But since the people especially fear what they do not know, the silver dragon to have to hide from them. In the novel, these dragons are already virtually extinct by the increasing spread of the people on the earth; one of the last major group has found refuge in a Scottish valley. The action of the novel begins with the fact that these dragons know that people are going to flood their valley ( without knowing of their existence ). When the dragon thereafter consult what they should do now, the eldest of them told the others of the " Rim of Heaven ," a valley in the Himalayas, in which he was even born, which is not very accessible to the people by its location and the has long been populated by dragons and used as a refuge.
Almost all of the dragons in the valley are skeptical and hold the " Rim of Heaven " for a fairy tale, but one of them, the young and inexperienced Dragon Lung, decides to make his way and to seek the valley. He is accompanied only by the forest brownie Sorrel, a very suspicious and often bad-tempered but loyal friend of his (dragon love goblins ).
Shortly after their departure Lung and Sorrel meet in a city the lonely orphan boy Ben, who helps them not to be discovered in the city. In gratitude for Lung met him the desire to come with him and with Sorrel and so to escape his loneliness.
On the journey the three among many mythical creatures ( including a basilisk ) meet the archeology and history professor Barnabas meadow land, who knows of the existence of mythical creatures and theirs will be a great help for their journey, by telling them of a jinn to them can show you how to find the " Rim of Heaven ," as well as a dracologist, the averaging can help with their knowledge of dragons and their history. From her get traveling a vial of Mondtau (thus averaging also can fly in the day ). At the same time learn Lung and its companion piece by piece from a big threat: The real reason why almost all the dragons are still alive have been hiding in the " Rim of Heaven ," was the escape from a dangerous monster, before Nettlebrand the Golden. It is a kite -eating creature in the shape of a huge dragon without wings with a barely destructible golden armor that was created by an evil and greedy alchemist specifically to hunt dragons for him. Since the few silver dragon who survived his hunts, but finally getting better hidden from him, Nettlebrand found after some time no more booty, which he was so angry that he almost all his servants (excluding the spy fly leg to the Ben without reason is always so nice that he joins Lung and his friends and becomes a double spy. because even to him was never someone nice) and finally even ate his Creator. Since then, he waits impatiently to find out where to stay still living dragon.
As Lung and his companions through an unfortunate accident very close to rest at Nettlebrand habitation, they are betrayed by a greedy gold stone dwarf named Gravelbeard at him. He then instructed his last remaining servant, also created by the alchemist homunculus Twigleg to follow and spy on averaging, so this Nettlebrand unknowingly to the " Rim of Heaven " leads.
Fly leg is already discovered by averaging companions shortly after the beginning of his pursuit, he succeeds but to acquire Ben and Lungs confidence. By Ben's kindness towards him but he finally makes a change of heart by: He decides to betray Nettlebrand to prevent this Ben eats. Later he confesses Lung and his companions his past and is prepared to support them in the future as a double agent.
Through the help of the jinn and the dracologist they arrive after some time in a Tibetan monastery, the monks know of the existence of mythical creatures and revere dragons as a lucky charm. With their help meet them there on the forest gnomes who are friends with the dragons of the " Rim of Heaven ," and they can finally show you the way there. At the same time they learn of an ancient legend about a dragon rider, who lived a long time ago, but one day return to help the dragon here is to defeat the Golden. Apparently Ben seems to fulfill this prophecy.
Indeed Nettlebrand Twigleg attempts to deceive him, quickly sees through and followed Lung. Lung is both the monastery and in the home village of dracologist before deciding to turn around and stop his search, of course, there is the danger that he performs the biggest enemy of the dragon to his prey. He is however clear both times that he will not give up his goal and also never hide from Nettlebrand but wants to fight him, if it is necessary.
To reach the end both he and Nettlebrand the Rim of Heaven. There you will find Lung and his companions, however, a way to destroy his tank and they manage to destroy Nettlebrand. The other dragons fly accompanied by Lung and the dragon girl Maja hem of the sky, and Ben is taken from the Wiesengrunds as a son.
Backgrounds and references to popular belief
In addition to the dragon, forest goblins and dwarves stone already mentioned occur in dragon rider still on countless other mythical creatures. So Lung Ben rescues in the Himalayas from being fed from giant bird rock at its young. Lung escapes his hand at a rest stop in Egypt barely destruction by a basilisk. Also suitable dragon rider elves, fairies, trolls, sand men, the Pegasus and a sea serpent before or at least be mentioned. Many of these beings are typical for large parts of fantasy literature, and most also occur as one imagines it commonly. So are elves small playful and winged creatures, dragons may breathe fire, stone dwarves are crazy for treasures, etc. In addition, the Rim of Heaven is probably inspired by Shangri- La or alludes to this.
Most chapters are told from the perspective of one of the mythical creatures. Here are people, especially Europeans, in principle, presented in a more negative: They are considered as narrow-minded, greedy and disrespectful towards nature. For all mythical creatures a peaceful coexistence with humans seems impossible; they have to fear being made by the people either without respect for their way of life and intelligence in zoos or museums to sensations or, in the case of larger and stronger creatures like dragons or sea serpent to be feared and hunted. All this is clearly at the beginning of the destruction of the habitat of the dragon, and is a recurrent theme. Individual figures embody this aspect particularly clear, especially the sword researcher Professor Ling, an associate professor Wiesengrunds, the Sorrel starts randomly and briefly imprison. It closes, however, strictly to believe, however, that Sorrel is to be a goblin or that mythical creatures exist at all, and throws meadow land before consistently to make themselves ridiculous by his belief in such.
On the other hand, make Lung and his companions again and again to people who are in this respect to positively differentiate themselves from their peers. Examples of this are, of course, especially Ben, the dragon researcher and professor meadow land, as the entire family. The monks in the Tibetan monastery have a completely different take on mythical creatures. This is especially in Lungs arrival there clear: He is revered by the monks downright; they believe that his arrival means happiness for the monastery.
This fact is not a mere fiction of the author, but based on the fact that dragons are actually valid in the mythologies and folklore of many Eastern cultures as good luck symbols. In the Western world, however, they have usually held a malicious and destructive role and accordingly occur also in large parts of Western literature. Dragon Rider is an exception with its benign silver dragon whose fire is not destructive and has healing powers
Language and style
As in almost all her novels Funke Dragon Rider served in an easy to read writing style with many simple metaphors and gives almost all its characters at least a batch of humorous undertone and repartee. Thus the book reads easily and consistently entertaining. Furthermore, it enters into almost every chapter, sometimes even within the same chapter, the narrative perspective. Most of the time it is reported directly from the perspective of a fictional character - dragon rider in this are almost always Lung, Ben or fly leg, sometimes Gravelbeard or, even more rarely, Nettlebrand - but occasionally also occurs authorial narrative situation.
Due to this constant change, the reader always has a much deeper insight into what is happening as all of the characters that occur. Thus, the over fifty chapter is told from Twigleg's perspective, for example, already in the ninth, as Gravelbeard Lung reveals to Nettlebrand. This tells the reader of the dangerous enemy of travelers and its goals long before they noticed them something.
Others
- From the 448 - page novel a two-hour play was the " Junges Theater Bonn " made that debuted on 2 September 2005. Since 2007, production is running in the Berlin Admiralty.