Emil and The Detectives - Erich Kastner

I must have read dozens of books during my childhood, and the appeal of many of them was quite ephemeral. However, a few stood out as having a lasting impact, still evoking fond memories today, but also carrying greater moral weight, as opposed to simple pleasure, escapism and wonder. One of these was the wonderful "Emil and the Detectives", by the German author Erich Kastner, published circa 1929. Reading this story seemed to be an obligatory aspect of the education of children of my generation, and we turned out alright, didn't we?

On a whim, or possibly due to some other sub-conscious yearnings, I recently purchased the book, and it is interesting to note the messages and morals which are more clearly discernible in my adulthood.

The book follows the adventures of the young Emil, who has some money stolen by a mysterious stranger whilst travelling from his home to Berlin to visit relatives. Upon arriving in the big city, he follows the culprit, and is then joined by other boys in efforts to apprehend the thief.

Some themes emerge quite quickly in the early chapters. The sense that the world was still a very big place, as exemplified by the awe employed in descriptions of Berlin, and the regular references to "provincial" concerns. The depiction of families in smaller towns and cities as more close-knit than in the bustling metropolis, with their retention of simpler, less materialistic values.

A sub-text which also suffuses "Emil and the Detectives" is the relationship between the establishment, or ruling classes, and the "little people".  Emil and his associates are wary of contact with authority figures, both out of fear, and also a suspicion that such elements are more interested in protecting the position of the rich and powerful than serving the rights of the populace at large.

I feel that the book also captures some of the alienation of many people in the inter-war years, feeling daunted and "left out" by social and economic changes and upheavals, society becoming ever more fragmented and impersonal because of industrialization and technological advancements. In the end, timeless human qualities and virtues are seen to over-ride and conquer these challenges.  Essential decency and integrity are appreciated, valued and rewarded.

There is also some gentle examination of "generational issues", not surprisingly when most of the characters in the story are children or teenagers! It is insinuated that those from humbler backgrounds have more amicable relations with their parents and wider family, who are more inter-dependent than those hailing from the more "exalted" strata of society...

The undercurrent which I detected was of the author's sympathy for, and solidarity with, the downtrodden and the disenfranchised, with an inference that such people, despite their travails, maintain a dignity and an honesty in their endeavours which is often absent from other echelons. This point is implied with much finesse and subtlety by Kastner.

When dissected in socio-political terms, "Emil and the Detectives" poses questions, albeit in a benign and often cryptic fashion.  However, to me its main conclusions and outcomes are hopeful and optimistic, to the effect that justice and love will usually prevail in the end....