Book Review: Bambert's Book of Missing Stories

Reinhardt Jung’s Challenging Story for Older Children and Teens

Dec 1, 2008

This touching story begins as an adventure but ends as a meaningful tribute to the power of the written word and the complex nature of friendship and belonging.

Originally published in German as Bamberts Buch der verschollenen Geschichten (Jungbrunnen, 1998) and translated into English by award-winning translator Anthea Bell, Bambert’s Book of Missing Stories (Egmont, 2008) is an interesting and challenging book for children aged 9 – 15.

Bambert’s Book of Missing Stories has been included on the British Telegraph 2008 list of 100 books that every child should read with such well known stories as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Little Princess and The Water Babies.

Bambert is disabled and lives alone, rarely leaving his home. He writes short stories to alleviate his loneliness and remains connected to the outside world thanks to old Mr Bloom, the kindly grocer who leases the ground floor of the building from Bambert.

Bambert is inspired one day to release his stories into the world. He wants them to find the place where they belong, so he erases all references to names and locations and attaches ten different stories to balloons which he then sends out onto the wind from the window of his apartment. He also sends out an eleventh story, which consists of only blank pages, hoping that it will return to him and reveal the story that it was always meant to be.

With each story, Bambert includes a note asking anyone who finds a story to return it to him with details of their name and address. He plans to complete the story and send them a copy of his final book.

Gradually the stories are returned to Bambert via Mr Bloom. They include tales of a young boy and a whale set on the west coast of Ireland, two young children playing in war-torn Sarajevo, a beautiful young girl in Venice who is denied the opportunity to view her own reflection and the wise Princess of Cordoba who declares she will only marry the man who can bring her the key to the truth as a gift.

As Bambert inserts the location and names into each story, they find their place in the world and in his own mind. As Bambert’s story progresses, it is revealed that the stories are returning to him from an unexpected source and the revelation of the final, blank story brings Bambert’s Book of Missing Stories to an unexpected and touching conclusion. Throughout, Mr Bloom reveals that Bambert is neither so alone nor unappreciated as he might believe.

A Collection of Short Stories to Inspire Deeper Consideration

While too serious and deep in meaning to engage a large audience, Bambert’s Book of Missing Stories is ideal for young readers looking for more substance than many popular novels are designed to offer.

With age-appropriate vocabulary and subject matter, this remarkable book is sure to fascinate and inspire advanced readers aged 9 – 11 and others from the ages of 12 onwards. The book is ideal for class discussion and consideration of the power of stories and the written word and the need for human beings to maintain contact and connection with others.

Bambert’s stories subconsciously reflect his own preoccupations, fears, anxieties and concerns. Through them, he reaches out to a world which seems to have no place for him and finds connection and a sense of belonging and purpose.

While Bambert’s Book of Missing Stories carries with it an air of mystery and intrigue, it is best suited to those readers, young and old, who like to read entertaining stories that also have greater depth and meaning.

The copyright of the article Book Review: Bambert's Book of Missing Stories in European Literature is owned by Susan Whelan. Permission to republish Book Review: Bambert's Book of Missing Stories in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.