Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

We will be reading Lottie And Lisa by Erich Kästner as our second buddy read of 2022.
Please join us whenever you can, since there is no set time-table for buddy reads.

Please feel free to read and discuss other works by Erich Kästner. He's generally a fun read.

I got a copy of this from my library system. It looks like fun!

Great!

I'm reading a copy that I found online for free, in German, with illustrations by Walter Trier.
I've already read half-it's delightful!

I've just finished it. I loved it!

I have just finished it too and loved it, especially the illustrations by Walter Trier. My copy called the The Parent Trap, translated by Anthea Bell.

I loved the illustrations too.
Where was the summer camp set, Penny?
In German, it was located in Seebühl am Bühlsee.

This was a fun book. I remember watching the 1961 movie, Parent Trap, with Hayley Mills.

My edition is from my library and is illustrated by Victoria de Larrea.
Here's the cover:

That is a cute cover.

Just finished. This is such a sweet little book. Glad to have read it.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Tracey. It is a sweet little book. Emil and the Detectives is another good one by this author.

Is the edition called The Parent Trap the same?

Yes, Katherine, it's the same book.

I have this here but forgot we started it. I'll read it soon :)

Happy reading, Karin!

Das doppelte Lottchen is one of my absolute favourite Erich Kästner novels, and the German film from the 1950s (which starred twins and where Erich Kästner himself wrote the script) is wonderful and much much better and closer to the book than Disney’s The Parent Trap.

And with regard to the best English language translation, for me this honour goes to the translation by Anthea Bell, even though I do wish the title was not The Parent Trap (but it is text wise the closest to Erich Kästner’s original and as such I definitely prefer it to other translations).

I do find it a bit frustrating that Erich Kästner is more famous for his Emil und die Detektive (and its many translations) than for Das doppelte Lottchen and Das fliegende Klassenzimmer (The Flying Classroom), both of which in my opinion outshine the former and are much less dated in particular regarding gender issues etc.

Manybooks wrote: "Das doppelte Lottchen is one of my absolute favourite Erich Kästner novels, and the German film from the 1950s (which starred twins and where Erich Kästner himself wrote the script) i..."

I'm not surprised--Disney ruins every book it touches.

Oh, oh, I didn't know the book had another name. I was looking for it under Lottie and Lisa but couldn't find it anywhere. I just checked it by "The Parent Trap", and there it is! I'll see if I can fit it in.

I think there are two main translations of Das doppelte Lottchen, one by Cyrus Brooks and the other by Anthea Bell. Both are pretty good, but if you have the choice, I would as already mentioned previously definitely recommend the Anthea Bell translation.

Karin wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Das doppelte Lottchen is one of my absolute favourite Erich Kästner novels, and the German film from the 1950s (which starred twins and where Erich Kästner himself w..."

A lot of people have very fond memories of Hayley Mills in The Parent Trap. But it is very different from Das Doppelte Lottchen in many ways and with a very American feel to it.

Piyangie wrote: "Oh, oh, I didn't know the book had another name. I was looking for it under Lottie and Lisa but couldn't find it anywhere. I just checked it by "The Parent Trap", and there it is! I'll see if I can..."

I have to admit that I was rather annoyed with Anthea Bell’s translation being called The Parent Trap (as I really do not like the movie all that much and found it veered too much from Kästner’s original and at first I was even wondering if this, if The Parent Trap would perhaps be a novellisation of the Disney movie). But yes, if you are looking for an English language translation of Das doppelte Lottchen, in my opinion Anthea Bell’s translation (The Parent Trap) is really good and definitely also a bit better than the earlier one by Cyrus Brooks (although Brooks also has done a pretty decent job).

What a beautiful book! I've only read the first four chapters but feel that I'm in for a treat. I'm reading Anthea Bell's translation, Manybooks. It's really good.

Piyangie wrote: "What a beautiful book! I've only read the first four chapters but feel that I'm in for a treat. I'm reading Anthea Bell's translation, Manybooks. It's really good."

Yes, it really is good and totally keeps in the spirit of Erich Kästner’s original text. Anthea Bell was a great translator.

Das doppelte Lottchen

(view spoiler)[I loved Das doppelte Lottchen (the German original) absolutely to pieces when I was a child and I have also watched and greatly enjoyed the German film version multiple times (the one from 1954 that had author Erich Kästner write the actual screen play); it is much more authentic than the generally more well-known and famous The Parent Trap (the original, starring Hayley Mills) which took some rather huge and for me, unforgivable, liberties with the plot (and while I do realise that many seem to very much adore the latter movie, for me, it just veers too much and too far from the original to ever be fully enjoyable).

And with this novel, with Das doppelte Lottchen Erich Kästner has definitely and truly managed to both engagingly and realistically portray the many problems and issues that are often faced by children of divorced parents, as well as the irresponsible behaviours that are at times exhibited by the same, by the parents (such as in this case, separating very young twin siblings, and then not even telling them that they have siblings, which Kästner clearly shows is NEVER an acceptable solution, as children are not objects or playthings). Das doppelte Lottchen (Lisa and Lottie) takes children, their hopes, dreams and desires seriously, and is also a reminder to adults (to parents) that children must not be ignored, that they deserve to know the truth, and that irresponsible adult behaviours can have problematic, difficult, even potentially dangerous consequences. And considering that Das doppelte Lottchen was penned in 1949, it is both amazing, and I guess also more than a trifle disconcerting and frustrating to have to acknowledge that similar heartbreaking scenarios are still prevalent and relevant nowadays, and on a global scale at that. (hide spoiler)]

The Parent Trap

(view spoiler)[Now I do NOT often rank a translation (especially a translation of a personal favourite) with five stars, but Anthea Bell's 2014 English language rendition of Das doppelte Lottchen is for lack of a better word, simply and utterly perfect in every way. Presenting Erich Kästner's narrative in a delightfully authentic manner while also keeping as much as possible to the rhythm, cadence and feel of the original without fortunately providing a literal word-for-word translation of Kästner's words, Anthea Bell has provided a sweet story in and of itself, and one that actually does not even feel all that much like a translation, but incredibly and enjoyably reads like simply an entertaining and evocative account of Lisa and Lottie's escapades and struggles. And that ALL of the personal and geographic place names have been kept in the original, have been retained in the German of the original is an added bonus and makes this translation of Kästner's classic, makes Anthea Bell's The Parent Trap miles and miles above earlier translations (which, while most definitely readable and adequate, also do often change at least some of the names to German sounding variants that the translator I guess feels are more easily pronounced and understood by English language readers and speakers).

Although for me, personally, Anthea Bell's The Parent Trap (and please note that the title does NOT in any way refer to the Hayley Mills or Lindsay Lohan movie versions) is absolute translation perfection, I should at least offer as a small caveat that Anthea Bell is British and that some of the expressions (actually many of them) have a distinct British feel to them (now I both love and actually much appreciate this, but I could perhaps see it potentially distracting and perhaps even confusing readers who are not all that familiar with British English idioms). But I for one, have simply and utterly adored this 2014 translation of Erich Kästner's Das doppelte Lottchen (almost on the same level and scale as the original and that is saying an awful lot) and am increasingly of the firm and unshaking opinion and belief that Anthea Bell is one of the best if not actually the best current translator of German children's literature into English. Five well-deserved stars and even a permeant resident on my favourites shelf (and finally, furthermore, unlike the recent translation of Das doppelte Lottchen published by Lizzie Skurnick Books, that I have also perused and reviewed, this here translation also and thankfully contains ALL of the wonderful and evocative accompanying illustrations by Walter Trier). (hide spoiler)]

Lisa and Lottie

(view spoiler)[When I started to read Lisa and Lottie, this here English language rendition published by Lizzie Skurnick Books of Brooklyn, New York (the translator's name is not listed, but I am now pretty well one hundred percent certain that it is the 1950 translation by Cyrus Brooks, and why his name has NOT been acknowledged is both hard to understand and actually in any manner to even accept), I was at first rather taken aback that the location of the girls' camp where Lisa first meets Lottie (and where they discover that they are separated identical twins) is called Bohrlaken on Lake Bohren instead of (as in the German original) Seebühl on the Bühlsee. However, I very quickly and with much appreciation began to realise and understand that this minor change (and at least the location is still German sounding) is actually a very astute and prudent narrative and translative strategy, as while Bohrlaken and Bohren would be comparatively easy to pronounce and/or read by the majority of English language speakers, the same cannot unfortunately be said with regard to Seebühl and Bühlsee (as the "ü" sound does not exist in English and can, in fact, often be quite difficult to fully master, as I do know from my own personal German language teaching experience).

And considering that even in the original novel, even in Das doppelte Lottchen, the camp location where Lisa and Lottie meet is entirely fictitious, it really does make basic common sense to render the location into a German sounding place name that is a bit easier to pronounce in the English language translation, or rather, in this particular English language translation. Furthermore, this is also one of the comparatively few deliberate name and locality changes I have found in Lisa and Lottie, as the majority of the other locations (as well as personal names), such as, for example, Munich, Vienna and their respective street names have basically all been kept the same as in the original (unless of course, there might be potential pronunciation issues, and even then, as already mentioned, the changes are still presented in a German fashion, but simply in a more easily read and understood German for English language readers and/or listeners).

Therefore and generally, happily, Lisa and Lottie is what I would strongly consider a more than successful English language translation, keeping both ALL of the content, the plot and as much of the style and vocabulary of the original as possible (whilst also not reading like a slavish and literal word-for-word rendition, which can result in awkwardness). There are perhaps a few clumsy parts (such as the use of smile wrinkles for Lachfalten, which should probably be more reasonably translated as laugh lines), but these are generally so insignificant that they really are almost unnoticeable. And I was truly more than willing to give this translation of Das doppelte Lottchen a four star rating (not a five star, as sorry, the original novel is such a childhood and adulthood favourite that NO translation will generally ever sparkle with the same amount of magic for me) until I noticed that NONE of the accompanying original illustrations by Walter Trier have been retained, that instead of Trier's evocative and classic depictions, the ones that I grew up loving and adoring, the illustrations in this edition, in Lisa and Lottie are by an anonymous illustrator, vaguely rendered and really not even all that German or even European looking in expression and style (both an insult to the memory and the legacy of Walter Trier as an illustrator and also at least somewhat causing a sense of uncomfortable disconnect between text and image). Still recommended is Lisa and Lottie, although the illustrations truly are a huge and personal disappointment, as Walter Trier's illustrations are as much an integral part of this novel as Erich Kästner's storyline, as his printed words and text.

Also and honestly, finally, why does the book cover of Lisa and Lottie show both of the twins with curls, considering that while Lisa has curls, Lottie generally wears braids (and when Lisa and Lottie switch roles, when they switch places and locations, Lisa becomes Lottie with the strict braids in Munich, and Lottie becomes Lisa with the wild curls in Vienna). Although in no way a major issue (and thus not really all that much affecting my star rating), I definitely would much prefer a cover image that shows one girl with braids and one girl with a curly hairdo (and thus, although the translation itself of course ranks as four stars, the fact that Cyrus Brooks' name as translator is not at all mentioned and that NONE of Walter Trier's accompanying original illustrations have been retained does in fact now anger me enough to only consider two stars for Lisa and Lottie). (hide spoiler)]

Lottie And Lisa

(view spoiler)[Now when I started to read Cyrus Brooks' Lottie and Lisa, the first English language translation of Das doppelte Lottchen (published in 1950, and thus only one year after Kästner's original German), I was at first rather taken aback that the location of the girls' camp where Lisa first meets Lottie (and where they discover that they are separated identical twins) is called Bohrlaken on Lake Bohren instead of (as in the German original) Seebühl on the Bühlsee. However, I very quickly and actually even with much appreciation began to realise and understand that this minor change (and at least the location is still German sounding) is in fact a very astute and prudent narrative and translative strategy, as while Bohrlaken and Bohren would be comparatively easy to pronounce and/or read by the majority of English language speakers, the same cannot unfortunately be said with regard to Seebühl and Bühlsee (as the "ü" sound does not exist in English and is, in fact, a sound that can be difficult for particularly English language speakers to fully master).

And considering that even in the original novel, that even in Das doppelte Lottchen, the camp location where Lisa and Lottie meet is indeed entirely fictitious, it really does make basic common sense to render the location into a German sounding place name that is a bit easier to pronounce in the English language translation, or rather, in this English language translation. Furthermore, this is also one of the comparatively few deliberate name and locality changes I have found in Lottie and Lisa, as the majority of the other locations (as well as personal names), such as, for example, Munich, Vienna and their respective street names have basically all been kept the same as in the original (unless of course there might be potential pronunciation issues, and even then, as already mentioned, the changes are still presented in a German sounding manner, but simply in a more easily read and understood German for English language readers, or perhaps listeners if the novel were being read aloud).

Therefore and generally, happily, Cyrus Brooks' Lottie and Lisa is what I would strongly consider a more than successful English language translation of Das doppelte Lottchen, keeping both ALL of the content, the plot and as much of the style and vocabulary of the original as possible (whilst also not reading like a slavish and literal word-for-word rendition, which often tends to result in awkwardness). There are perhaps a few clumsy parts (such as the use of smile wrinkles for Lachfalten, which should probably be more reasonably translated as laugh lines), but these are generally so insignificant that they really are almost unnoticeable. Highly recommended and while perhaps not quite as spectacular and brilliant as the more recent 2014 English language translation by Anthea Bell, this is definitely a standardly good and still more than acceptable and usable English language rendition of Erich Kästner's classic, of Das doppelete Lottchen (and unlike the more recent and anonymous Cyrus Brooks translation published by Lizzie Skurnick Books, Lottie and Lisa DOES indeed also contain all of the accompanying evocative illustrations by Walter Trier, whose illustrations of Kästner's children's books are as much part of the reading experience as the author's narrative and really should NEVER be removed or in some way replaced). (hide spoiler)]

I would like to point out that with Erich Kästner's most well known novel, with his Emil und die Detektive (Emil and the Detectives), you really really need to be careful with regard to which English language translation you consider reading. And I would definitely NOT recommend the 2007 translation by W. Martin and only consider the earlier translation by May Massee (and yes, even if this translation seems to be out of print and thus only available used).

General Musings on Emil and a Specific Analysis of the 2007 W. Martin (Joke) of a Translation

Please do note that Emil's exploits, that the story itself, in its German original, while never a personal favourite, is and will always remain a solid three star read for me (enjoyable, but also not spectacular). And yes, the above one star rating is simply because the new 2007 translation by W. Martin absolutely and totally leaves so very much to be desired (especially for someone such as I who likes her translations as close to the original as possible and not updated or altered all that much). My review will thus be in two parts (first, general musings on Emil's Berlin escapades as a whole, gleaned mostly from my review of the German original, as the general themes and my issues with some of them remain the same, and then a more in-depth analysis of this particular recent English language translation, and why I personally consider it majorly substandard in every way).

First published in 1929, Erich Kästner's Emil und die Detektive (Emil and the Detectives in English translations) especially and brilliantly sparkles and glows with its sense of time and place, with its urban realism, its palpably authentic and genuine representation and description of Berlin (the actual capital city of the Germany of the Weimar Republic, a lively and throbbing modern metropolis, and not some vague environs set in either a magical present or a distant historical past).

Also and for me personally, first reading about Emil's adventures and exploits in Berlin, more than forty years later in 1975 (when I was nine years old and approximately a year before we immigrated from what was then West Germany to Canada, and thus in the German original, of course), with the Berlin Wall at that time still firmly in place and East Berlin, like all of East Germany, for all intents and purposes cut off from West Germany, Emil und die Detektive was basically the only way for me to even remotely be able to experience the at that time still former capital of Germany (from 1949 until reunification, while East Berlin remained the capital of East Germany, the capital of West Germany was Bonn), since unless one had family members in the East, it was often very difficult if not impossible for many if not most West Germans to even obtain permission from East Germany to cross over, to visit (and neither did we have relatives in East Germany nor did my parents desire to frequent East Germany as that, according to them, would have been catering to Erich Honecker and the Soviet Union, and even the idea of perhaps visiting West Berlin was never remotely entertained or considered).

Aside from the above mentioned and appreciated immediacy, the both harsh and at times delightful reality of urban existence, Emil und die Detektive is primarily a novel of not only adventure and friendship, but essentially, a glorification of children and their abilities, their hidden and not so hidden strengths and talents. Emil and his new friends tracking and then apprehending the scoundrel who had robbed Emil of his money clearly and succinctly demonstrates to ALL (including parents, including adults) that the young are NOT (and should never be) mere bastions of inactivity and quietude (to be seen but not heard, to be sitting silently and attentively at school, at church or at home), but that children can do, that if they join forces and work together, they can (at least within the confines of this story) even take the job of the authorities, of adult detectives (and that there is safety and comfort in numbers, that as a team, collectively, much can be accomplished).

That being said, and even though I realise that from all of Erich Kästner's children's novels, Emil und die Detektive remains his most famous and well known (especially in North America and Great Britain, especially in translation), there are some rather major and unfortunate issues with datedness and stratified gender roles present. Emil's female cousin Pony Hütchen (Pony of the Hat), while clearly represented in many ways as both the most imaginative and even the most courageous of the children, unfortunately also seems to be primarily a maternal representative, a motherly type whose role is first and foremost that of a caregiver and liaison (and it is thus Emil and the boys of the group who later earn all or at least most of the accolades, who are feted as having apprehended the thief).

Now I do very well realise that Emil und die Detektive was penned, was published in the 1920s and that for its time (for 1929), both the story itself and the featured characters are actually quite if not very avant-garde (even with regard to Pony Hütchen, who while she might indeed languish somewhat as a typical maternal caregiver like entity, is at least permitted, is at least allowed freedom and vitality, is not simply confined to the house or to a finishing school, sewing or learning how to "be a lady"). I just do find it somewhat frustrating that even though many of Erich Kästner's later novels for children often portray considerably less gender stratification (and even actual criticism of the latter), they are often not nearly as familiar and even as available to especially English language readers. Still, Emil und die Detektive remains highly recommended as a story, and is perhaps even a good place to start (especially if one desires to read Erich Kästner's children's writing sociologically and/or historically).

THE 2007 W. MARTIN TRANSLATION

I have not, as yet, read the earlier May Massee translation of Emil und die Detektive (but am planning on doing so in the near future, as I have heard very positive critiques of it from trusted GR friends, thanks Cheryl and Michael).

Now I do realise that translations are never and can never be exactly like the original (and in fact, translations that strive to be too literal can often have the tendency to read haltingly and tediously, painfully like translations and not as stories, as accounts in and of themselves). But that being said, a given translation should still strive to keep as close to the original as possible, mirroring both style and especially time and place of the original narrative (and of course, content and themes as well). And although W. Martin's translation does read fluently enough, and yes, even portrays Emil's escapes in Berlin for the most part authentically and realistically, especially his (or her) choice of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions sometimes (far too often) make me shake my head in consternation (and actually leaves me both frustrated and yes, even rather, no actually very much angry and annoyed).

And first and foremost (and even in this here new translation), Emil and the Detectives is still clearly presented as a novel set in Berlin, no rather, it is set in 1920s Berlin. And thus, it makes precious little sense that so many of the jargon-like expressions used by especially Gus (Gustave) feel more like late 20th, early 21st century vernacular. Sorry, but no one in 1920s Berlin would have called someone dude, nor would the German word Lump have been the equivalent of scumbag in a novel set in 1920s Berlin. And I actually rather doubt that scumbag would even have been all that much in existence in the vernacular of most English speaking countries at that time, and in my opinion, the correct, or rather the best translation of Lump should be scoundrel, as scumbag fits neither the time nor the place (and these are just a select few such examples, there are, unfortunately quite a number of them present throughout the translated narrative, rendering the discourse, the textual flow unintentionally anachronistic and to me, unnatural and disconcerting). And the thief who robbed Emil, in the German original, he is repeatedly described as a Halunke, which is the equivalent of villain and CERTAINLY NOT jerk as the translator, as W. Martin has rendered the former (for the individual who robbed Emil is more than a mere jerk, he is a criminal, a thief, a villain).

And while the anachronistic use of late 20th, early 21st century discourse and jargon is indeed somewhat irritating, I find the woefully haphazard manner in which personal and geographic names have been either anglicised or kept German by W. Martin even more of an issue, even more perplexing. Now personally, I always tend to be of the opinion that unless a given name is unpronounceable or unspellable if kept in the original, geographic locations and first and surnames should NOT generally, as a rule, be translated. However, that being said, if a translator is going to be rendering names, places and such into the target language, he or she should be consistent throughout, and either translate ALL names etc. or conversely NONE of them. And with this fact, this personal opinion in mind, W. Martin's 2007 Emil and the Detectives presents the exact opposite, namely a (for me) vexing and irritating combination of some personal names being kept in the German original and others translated into English counterparts. Why, for example, is Emil's surname, Tischbein, translated as Tabletoe, and why is one of the names of the villain, Grundeis, rendered as Groundsnow, while many if not most of the other surnames are kept German? But even more problematic, why is Emil's hometown of Neustadt (which does exist in Germany, well actually, there are a number of cities that go by that name) translated as New Town by W. Martin, while both Berlin and Hanover appear as they would in German, in Germany (although in Germany, Hanover is spelled with a double n, Hannover)? Not to mention that even the description of Berlin landmarks and street names suffer from this inconsistency, with some being translated into an English version and others keeping their German spelling. And yes, this strange and unnecessary combination of German and English names, with really no rhyme or reason, and even more so than the translator's use of anachronisms with regard to dialogue and discourse, has made me rather majorly if not totally despise the new 2007 translation of Emil's story and has also made me really hesitant to in any manner consider recommending W. Martin's version of Emil and the Detectives (even though it is seemingly much more readily available than the earlier translation of May Massee, and while I have not yet read the latter, the fact that many of my GR friends glowingly appreciate and love her rendition, this does majorly encourage me, and really truly, there are simply far far too many niggling and frustratingly infuriating issues with W. Martin's translation for me to consider suggesting it to anyone with a guiltless conscience).

THE MAY MASSEE TRANSLATION

Well, after having been massively frustrated with and disappointed by the recent 2007 W. Martin translation of Emil und die Detektive, I was both looking forward to reading this earlier (and now unfortunately no longer in current print) translation by May Massee and also feeling a bit of, I think, well-understood trepidation. Yes, a number of my GR friends had very highly praised Massee's translation of Kästner's classic, but I still was a bit worried. However, I absolutely need not have been. This here translation, May Massee's rendition is, indeed, simply lovely, simply wonderful, in all ways totally and utterly capturing the spirit of the original, of Erich Kästner's original German text whilst also not reading like a literal sentence to sentence translation, whilst presenting a narrative that flows smoothly, naturally, and in no way haltingly.

And while there might indeed be a few minor spelling mistakes, and one or two small instances of awkwardness of interpretation, the translator (May Massee) has for the most part successfully rendered into English what should be kept English and retained in German what needs to be kept German (such as all of the personal and geographic names and designations). And unlike the 2007 W. Martin translation of Emil und die Detektive which changed so much of especially Gus's (Gustav's) parlance into a rather strange late 20th, early 21st century American street slang (not really appropriate for a novel clearly set in 1920s Berlin), the idiomatic expressions, the slang and discourse of May Massee's translation fit both time and place (and thus also mirror Kästner's original German narrative accurately and very much realistically).

And therefore, for those of you who are seriously interested in reading an English language translation of Erich Kästner's Emil und die Detektive, from the two English language versions I have read to date, I can and will ONLY recommend the 1930 May Massee translation (this very translation), for her rendition, her Emil and the Detectives ABSOLUTELY outshines the most recent 2007 W. Martin translation in EVERY way imaginable (and while out of print, and thus not as easily and readily available as the latter, May Massee's translation is nevertheless still rather easy to obtain as a used book, and often even at more than reasonable prices, especially if purchasing it as a paperback).

Thank you for your in depth analysis of the translation, Manybooks.
I'm thankful I can read German.
Poor translations can ruin a book, so your information is useful.

I should not have looked at this thread -- it's all I can do to not read the spoilers because I am afraid that I'll forget to check them later (it's been a long time since I saw either one of the Disney films--my kids saw the newer one, so I did as well, but grew up with the older one.)

This was a fun read at the end of a stressful day yesterday :) 4 stars. I don't remember the films that well, but did notice a number of things that were different. I read it translated by an unknown author--the translator isn't listed! Does this mean that it's been so long the translator didn't have to be mentioned? It's not in the paperback copy or on GR.

was published in 2015.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Karin.

Karin wrote: "This was a fun read at the end of a stressful day yesterday :) 4 stars. I don't remember the films that well, but did notice a number of things that were different. I read it translated by an unkno..."

The translator is Cyrus Brooks and that that his name has not been mentioned is in my opinion unacceptable and really annoying.

This is one of the most beautiful and emotional children's classics that I've read. It really moved me to tears. I'm so happy to have read it. Thanks all for this buddy read.

It was nice to have everyone along reading this delightful book!

If you know German and are able to get hold of the 1950s film Das doppelte Lottchen (which stars actual twins and where the screenplay was written by Erich Kästner), do so. It might be black and white but it is MILES ABOVE The Parent Trap and follows the book almost verbatim.

Thanks for the recommendation, Manybooks.

Rosemarie wrote: "Thanks for the recommendation, Manybooks."

It is likely available on Amazon Germany, but you would need a region free DVD player.