Rico, Oskar and the theft stone (novel)

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Rico, Oskar and the theft stone is a novel by Andreas Steinhöfel from 2011. It is the third volume in the book series about Rico and Oskar after Rico, Oskar and the deep shadows (2008) and Rico, Oskar and the heartache (2009). The series was published by Carlsen Verlag and is recommended for ages 10 and up. A film of the same name was released in 2016 .

Plot and narrative

The action begins about a year after the end of the previous volume. The “ gifted ” Rico and his highly gifted friend Oskar now both live in the same house on Dieffenbachstrasse . Rico's mother and "the Bühl", whom Rico had wanted as a surrogate father since they first met, have become a couple. Rico's real father is no longer alive, he actually died in Naples and in connection with fishing, because he was run over by a fish truck there.

When the neighbor Fitzke dies, he bequeaths his stone collection to Rico. One evening Rico and Oskar heard someone entering the empty apartment and later discovered that the stone that had meant most to Fitzke was stolen. Although the stone has no material value, Rico and Oskar want to find it again. Their search leads them to Prerow on the Baltic Sea . There they find out that other stones have been stolen, including a supposedly valuable gem.

The friendship of the two boys is put to the test when Rico realizes that Oskar was not interested in the stone, which is an important memento for Rico, but only wanted to tear it away and go to the Baltic Sea to resolve the conflict with his father to escape. After going their separate ways for a while, they develop a new understanding for one another and resume their search together. With the help of the deaf boy Sven, whom Rico met during the investigation in the first volume and whom Rico and Oskar met again on the train, they can find the thief - the granddaughter of a neighbor who moved to Dieffenbachstrasse long before Rico and who committed suicide in the rear building - track down. The other stones also turn out to be worthless, and Rico and Oskar drive back to Berlin.

There the story finds a happy ending: Rico is reconciled with the stone thief's family. Rico and Oskar have found a new friend in Sven. Oskar is reconciled with his father. Ricos mother and "the Bühl" get married and expect a child. Rico's mother opens her own business with her best friend. Finally, Rico decorates his grave with Fitzke's stone collection and ponders the value of memories.

As in the previous volumes, the story is told from Rico's point of view, who records it in his diary in his characteristic narrative style with many small digressions on words and their meanings.

reception

The reviewer Andrea Barthélémy stated that “everything is just right” about this book. It is the "tension between action and great depth of feeling, between drama and exuberant joke with a lot of Berlin muzzle" that makes the books "so successful and special". Eva-Maria Magel praised the development of the story, in which all the characters learn and grow beyond themselves, with Steinhöfel just avoiding some “kitsch cliffs”. The images that Steinhöfel finds for feelings are understandable for children, but adults should also be impressed by Rico's sensitive analysis of his fellow human beings. Another highlight of the book are the illustrations and Rico's strange explanations of words. It is true that the contradiction between Ricos naivety and his outstanding narrative art reaches the limits of credibility in this book too. Nevertheless, Steinhöfel is to be wished that after the end of the trilogy he could create a new character who is "as truthful and at the same time humorous" as Rico.

expenditure

Both the hardback ( ISBN 978-3-5515-5572-4 ) and the paperback ( ISBN 978-3-5513-1289-1 ) were published by Carlsen Verlag with illustrations by Peter Schössow .

In 2011 an audio book , read by the author, was published by Silberfisch Verlag ( ISBN 978-3-8674-2069-3 ).

Adaptations

radio play

A radio play adaptation under the direction of Judith Lorentz was published by Silberfisch Verlag ( ISBN 978-3-8674-2140-9 ).

filming

The film Rico, Oskar and the theft stone by Neele Vollmar was released in 2016.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Andrea Barthélémy: Grand finale for the little ones. In: Stern . September 30, 2011, accessed August 8, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Eva-Maria Magel: Here a poet matures on his own behalf. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . November 4, 2011, accessed August 8, 2016 .