(Drivebycuriosity) - The 17th century was a dark period, especially in Germany, which was just a patchwork of independent kingdoms, duchies, electorates & free cities, loosely connected as The Holy Roman Empire. The devastating "Thirty Years War", which lasted from 1618 through 1648, reduced the German population by 20%. Armies marched through the country - murdering, burning, looting & raping everything what was on their ways.
The book "Tyll: A Novel" by Daniel Kehlmann is in set in these dystopian times (amazon ). The book focuses on Tyll Ulenspiegel, a fictional entertainer and court jester who traveled through the war stricken country. Kehlman leads his readers into a dark history reigned by sheer horror. The plot focuses less on Tyll himself, Kehlmann instead describes persons who crossed Tyll`s ways during his life. The readers meet a king and a queen (kind of), a miller, Jesuits & witch hunters, desperate soldiers and more. Some chapters are grizzly & dramatic, others funny and hilarious or resemble elegant stage plays, there are intellectual mind games, horror scenarios & philosophical discussions. All episodes are glued together by Kehlmann`s crispy & elegant style - pure bliss.
The novel is loosely based on Tyll Eulenpiegel, a chap book printed in 1512, about a fictional entertainer who traveled through the German countries in the first half of the 14th century (wikipedia ). The German name Eulenspiegel (or Ulenspiegel) means "owl mirror" in English. The fictional but legendary Tyll was known for playing practical jokes on his contemporaries, exposing vices at every turn. The Eulenspiegel legend inspired novels, comic books, theater plays, museum exhibits & music compositions. Kehlman´s version might be the most ambition interpretation.
Daniel Kehlmann became famous with his novel "Measuring the World" about the German scientist & explorer Alexander Humboldt (here my review ). "Tyll" is even better and belongs to the best books I read in a decade or more.
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