This one is a true classic that is, sadly, one of the hard-to-come by books. It is Momo (aka The Grey Gentlemen) by Micheal Ende. And yea, you guessed it, he is the same guy who wrote The Neverending Story. Of course his other novels will end up as must-have books!

This story is set in Italy and it talks about a group of creepy men called the Grey Men. They convince folks that they have means to save time. Thus, they take time away from folks and promise them that they can give it back later on. And this is kept in a bank of sorts. When I think about this story, in our modern setting, this comes across as one of those dodgy schemes cooked up up financial folks.

And that is not far from truth. The Grey Men are actually draining folks of time so that everyone is simply focused on saving time. Thus, they don't enjoy the little things in life, no one is happy, everyone is rushed. Again, this seems disconcertingly like modern urban life. Good news is, there is a girl in town who doesn't fall under this spell. She is called Momo and she has special abilities which help her see beyond such deception. Unfortunately, her life is in danger as the Men aren't happy with her skills. Can she save the day?

When you first read a book, as a somewhat younger brat, you don't often appreciate a book in all its glory. Sometimes you don't understand the deeper messages and, later on, when you realize them, you end up loving the book even more. Well, this is one of those books. While the book is meant as a young adult novel, it will also appeal to adults. The fantasy tale contains various themes, from ranting a bit against the urbanization of our environment to our obsession with material items. Actually, in the case of the latter, it is more about how folks think that something outside of themselves can make them happy. That's what I got, the reason why I guessed everyone was crazy about a timesaving scheme. I should also note that, as a kid, it was fun to read a book which had a girl as the main protagonist.