James Crews sold laughter summary. Lesson-reflection on the book by James Crews "Tim Thaler, or Sold Laughter"

Dear little and big readers!

This book talks about laughter and money.

Laughter unites people all over the world. Both in the Moscow metro and in the New York metro they laugh in the same way as in the Parisian one. A witty joke will be smiled at just as cheerfully in Tokyo, Cairo and Prague as in Madrid, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Money has nothing to do with real wealth, such as happiness, peace, humanity. But he has laughter, and what a laugh!

When someone trades their laughter for money like in this book, it is very sad. After all, this means that he exchanged real wealth for fake - happiness for luxury, and sacrificed the freedom that laughter gives us. Laugh, dear readers, at those who believe that everything in the world is sold for money, and their weapons will rust and become unusable!

Now stock up on attention and patience, and you will find out what a difficult, confusing and bitter path one boy went through - his name was Tim Thaler - before he realized how precious laughter and even the most ordinary smile are.

James Crews.

This story was told to me by a man about fifty years old; I met him in Leipzig, at a printing house, where he, like me, went to find out whether the printing of his book was progressing. (The discussion in this book, if I’m not mistaken, was about puppet theater.) This man amazed me because, despite his age, he laughed so heartily and contagiously, like a ten-year-old boy.

Who this man was, I can only guess. And the narrator, and the time of action, and much more in this story remained a mystery to me. (However, judging by some signs, its main events unfolded around 1930.)

I would like to mention that I wrote down this story in between working on the back of rejected proofs - long, very long sheets of second-rate paper. That’s why the book is divided not into chapters, but into “sheets,” but these sheets, strictly speaking, are nothing more than chapters.

And one more warning. Although this book talks about laughter, the reader will not laugh very often. But, making his way through the darkness along its path, no matter how much he circles, he will come closer and closer to the light.

BOOK ONE
LOST LAUGHTER

Well, deal with me, king! But really, believe
Laughter means: man is not a beast
This is how man is endowed by nature
When it's funny, he can laugh!

From the prologue of a puppet comedy

“Goose, goose - I’ll stick as soon as I get my hands on it!”

Sheet one
BOY FROM THE ALLEY

In big cities with wide streets, there are still alleys so narrow that you can lean out of the window and shake hands with your neighbor from the window opposite. Foreign tourists who travel around the world with a lot of money and feelings, accidentally finding themselves in such a side street, always exclaim: “How picturesque!” And the ladies sigh: “What an idyll! What romance!

But this idyll and romance are just appearances, because in such alleys people usually live who have very little money. And someone who has so little money in a big rich city often becomes gloomy and envious. And it’s not just about the people, it’s about the alleys themselves.

Little Tim settled in such an alley when he was three years old. His cheerful, round-faced mother had already died, and his father had to get hired as an auxiliary worker at a construction site, because in those days it was not so easy to find any work. And so the father and son moved from the bright room with windows overlooking the city garden to a narrow alley paved with cobblestones, where there was always a smell of pepper, cumin and anise: in this alley there was the only mill in the whole city where spices were ground. Soon Tim had a thin stepmother who looked like a mouse, and even a stepbrother, arrogant, spoiled and so pale, as if his face had been smeared with chalk.

Although Tim had only just turned three years old, he was a strong and completely independent boy, he could, without any outside help, drive an ocean steamer out of stools and a car out of sofa cushions, and he had an unusually infectious laugh. When his mother was still alive, she laughed until she cried, listening to Tim, having set off on a long journey by water and land on his pillows and stools, cheerfully shouting: “Tut-tu-tu! Stop! Ame-e-rika!” And from his stepmother he received spanks and beatings for the same thing. And Tim could not understand this.

And he had difficulty understanding his half-brother Erwin. My brotherly love he showed it in a very strange way: he either threw kindling for kindling, or smeared Tim with soot, ink or plum jam. And it was completely unclear why it was not Erwin who got it for this, but Tim. Because of all these strange things that happened to him on new apartment in the alley, Tim almost completely forgot how to laugh. Only when my father was at home did his thin, deep, choking laughter still sometimes sound.

But more often than not, Tim's father was not at home. The construction site for which he was hired was located on the other side of the city, and almost everything free time went into his path. He married a second time mainly so that Tim would not sit at home alone all day. Only on Sundays did he now manage to be alone with his son. On this day he took Tim by the hand and said to his stepmother:

We went for a walk.

But in fact, he went with Tim to the hippodrome and bet on some horse, just a little, a little thing, what he managed to save over the week on the sly from his wife. He dreamed that one fine day he would win a whole lot of money and again move with his family from a narrow alley to a bright apartment. But, like many others, he hoped in vain to win. Almost every time he lost, and even if he won, the winnings were barely enough to buy a glass of beer, a tram, and a bag of candy for Tim.

This book talks about laughter and money.

Now, be attentive and patient, and you will find out what a difficult, confusing and bitter path one boy went through - his name was Tim Thaler - before he realized how precious laughter and even the most ordinary smile are.

James Crews

This story was told to me by a man about fifty years old; I met him in Leipzig, at a printing house, where he, like me, went to find out whether the printing of his book was progressing. (The talk in this book, if I’m not mistaken, was about puppet theater.) This man amazed me because, despite his age, he laughed so heartily and contagiously, like a ten-year-old boy.

BOOK ONE.

LOST LAUGHTER

Well, deal with me, king! But really, believe

Laughter means: man is not a beast.

This is how man is endowed by nature:

When it's funny, he can laugh!

From the prologue of a puppet comedy

“Goose, goose - I’ll stick as soon as I get my hands on it!”

Sheet one.

BOY FROM THE ALLEY

And he had difficulty understanding his half-brother Erwin. He showed his brotherly love in a very strange way: he either threw kindling for kindling, or smeared Tim with soot, ink or plum jam. And it was completely unclear why it was not Erwin who got it for this, but Tim. Because of all these incomprehensible things that happened to him in his new apartment in the alley, Tim almost completely forgot how to laugh. Only when my father was at home did his thin, deep, choking laughter still sometimes sound.

But more often than not, Tim's father was not at home. The construction site for which he was hired was located on the other side of the city, and almost all his free time was spent on the road. He married a second time mainly so that Tim would not sit at home alone all day. Only on Sundays did he now manage to be alone with his son. On this day he took Tim by the hand and said to his stepmother:

We went for a walk.

But in fact, he went with Tim to the hippodrome and bet on some horse, just a little, a little thing, what he managed to save over the week on the sly from his wife. He dreamed that one fine day he would win a whole lot of money and again move with his family from a narrow alley to a bright apartment. But, like many others, he hoped in vain to win. Almost every time he lost, and even if he won, the winnings were barely enough for a glass of beer, a tram and a bag of candy for Tim.

Tim didn't enjoy horse racing much. Horses and riders flashed so far and rushed past so quickly, and there were always so many people standing in front that, even sitting on his father’s shoulders, he hardly had time to see anything.

But although Tim cared little about horses and riders, he very soon figured out what racing was. When he rode home with his father on the tram, holding a bag of colorful candies in his hands, it meant that they had won. When his father put him on his shoulders and they went home on foot, it meant that they had lost.

Tim didn't care if they won or lost. It was just as fun for him to sit on his father's shoulders as it was to ride on the tram, even, to tell the truth, even more fun.

And the funniest thing was that today was Sunday and the two of them were alone, and Erwin and his stepmother were far, far away, so far away, as if they weren’t even in the world.

But, unfortunately, besides Sunday, there are still six whole days in the week. And all these days Tim lived like those children in fairy tales who evil stepmother. Only a little worse, because a fairy tale is a fairy tale, it begins on the first page and ends, well, let’s say, on the twelfth. And such is the torment every day whole year, and not just for one year, but for many years in a row - try to endure it! Tim was so used to persisting, being daring, standing his ground that, if there were no resurrections in the world, he would probably - simply from stubbornness alone - turn into an inveterate tomboy and a rude man. But since, fortunately, there are still Sundays in the world, he remained an ordinary boy. Even his laughter sounded the same: it seemed to rise from somewhere deep and end with a happy, choking laugh.

James Jacob Heinrich Crews created the famous story “Tim Thaler, or Sold Laughter,” which is familiar to all of us from childhood. This happened back in 1962. The book can deservedly be considered one of the classical works. The plot is still relevant today, and still rivets its reader to the exciting plot.

The characters' events take place in Germany during the 1930s. Main character is presented in the form of a young fourteen-year-old boy, Tim. The life of a teenager is full of trials and difficulties. The mother leaves this world very early and leaves the child alone with the cruelty of life. Soon Tim's father also dies. The boy's direct guardian is the stepmother, who, together with stepbrother do not have tender and warm feelings for the child.

The hero is a very positive person who knows how to laugh in the face of all adversity, and Tim can do this so contagiously and cheerfully that he attracts the attention of one strange stranger - Baron Treach. He offers the boy a deal, as a result of which he will be able to win any bet, but in return he demands this unique and priceless, in Tim’s opinion, laughter.

Thanks to his new talent, the hero becomes incredibly rich. Horse racing becomes his permanent source of income. Using money, Tim tries to take everything from life, but he lacks the ability to rejoice and laugh. The boy is thinking about returning the sold laughter. The problem is that if the secret of the deal is revealed, Tim will lose not only his laughter, but also his desired gift of winning an argument. And here the old and good friends who are cunning but in a simple way they still give back to the child the most important thing in life.

The book is very educational for the children's category, although adults can take some lessons from Tim's experience.

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Summary Tim Thaler, or Crews' Sold Laughter

The author in the editorial office discovers the already matured Tim Thaler, and for about a couple of hours he tells a story that happened to him when he was still a child. Further, when the author is already on the train, a complete stranger comes up to him and says that there is no need to write the story of little Tim, he even suggests cash. For the writer this story is valuable and he says that he will write it.

The events described take place in a small town in Germany, the time of action is the thirties. At first, Thaler’s mother dies, and a little later, during a tragedy, his father also dies. He lives in a house with his stepbrother named Erwin and a cruel stepmother who hates him and constantly humiliates him.

Erwin doesn't like his younger brother and bullies him at every turn. Little Tim's rather cheerful and funny laughter helps him survive all the hardships of life. Usually, when the weekend came, he spent time at the racetrack. There, by coincidence, he meets Baron Trech. Now they spend time with each other and watch the races. The Baron decides to buy Tim's laughter for a chance at winning the bet.

The stepmother decides to take advantage of her “son’s” gift. Now the family has become prosperous, this did not bring Timk any happiness. He understands that without his laughter he cannot live well. He decides that he needs to regain his own laughter. He ran away from the city and went to Hamburg, where he got a job as a steward in order to find that wizard.

Tim takes part in various bets and tries to lose in order to get his laughter back. Baron Trech learned about the boy's plans. They met and Trech forbade him to talk about the deal they made. On the ship "Dolphin", Thaler met a new friend, his name was Kreshmar. He knows the baron and knows about his evil spirits, he realizes a terrible deal and he regrets.

The guy made a deal that he would become many times richer than Trech. Then the Baron takes him hostage. His acquaintances free him from captivity and return his laughter.

Thaler grew up and opened his own theater, in which he successfully staged a play in which he talked about his life.

Picture or drawing by Crews Tim Thaler, or sold laughter

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The death of the famous film director Leonid Nechaev reminded me that several times, starting in 2007, I was going to write about one of my favorite childhood books, which he filmed. In the tape, people remembered “Pinocchio” and “Little Red Riding Hood”, but almost no one remembered “Tim Thaler or Sold Laughter”... Here you can watch a video clip from the film. Under the cut there will be shots from two films about Tim Thaler, some information about the book and its author James Crews, book covers and illustrations, in short, a lot that is connected with the boy who sold his laughter, and then at the cost of suffering and hardship life experience, with the help of friends, was able to return his greatest treasure. Book number 1 of my childhood...

I can’t even explain why this book was and is so loved by me. I read it quite early, probably when I was 7-8 years old. Through her, that immense and complex world, which seethed and splashed somewhere far outside my home... The existence of such friendship and mutual assistance was a revelation. The presence of evil, which is “everywhere and nowhere.” The alleys of a small German town, sunny Genoa and a gloomy castle in Mesopotamia. Sun worshipers and promotions, horse races, notes written through a magnifying glass and the rule not to wear brown after six in the evening. There were a lot of revelations there, actually for the child. And the amazing atmosphere of the story - it was as if I saw with my own eyes the rainy days, the splash of the night waves, the warmth of the eyes and the cold of an alien world. A world then unfamiliar and yet very real. The book still takes me back to childhood, making me remember myself at that age... awakening some very subtle strings in the depths of my soul.

I will quote the preface from the book:

This book talks about laughter and money.
Laughter unites people all over the world. Both in the Moscow metro and in the New York metro they laugh in the same way as in the Parisian one. A witty joke will be smiled at just as cheerfully in Tokyo, Cairo and Prague as in Madrid, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Money has nothing to do with real wealth, such as happiness, peace, humanity. But he has laughter, and what a laugh!
When someone trades their laughter for money like in this book, it is very sad. After all, this means that he exchanged real wealth for fake - happiness for luxury, and sacrificed the freedom that laughter gives us. Laugh, dear readers, at those who believe that everything in the world is sold for money, and their weapons will rust and become unusable!
Now, be attentive and patient, and you will find out what a difficult, confusing and bitter path one boy went through - his name was Tim Thaler - before he realized how precious laughter and even the most ordinary smile are.
James Crews.

First, some stills from Nechaev’s film “Sold Laughter” and CD covers that we managed to dig up on the Internet:

Genre: Fairy tale
Production: Belarusfilm. 1981
Duration: 127 minutes
Year: 1981
Artist: Alim Matveychuk
Songwriter: Leonid Derbenev
Director: Leonid Nechaev
Screenwriter: Inna Vetkina
Composer: Maxim Dunaevsky
Cameraman: Vladimir Kalashnikov
Actors: Pavel Kadochnikov, Alexander Prodan, Zhenya Grigorieva, Nastya Nechaeva, Vadim Belevtsev, Natalya Gundareva, Ekaterina Vasilyeva, Nadezhda Rumyantseva, Yuri Katin-Yartsev, Hasan Mamedov, Anatoly Galevsky, Igor Dmitriev, Borislav Brondukov, Fedor Nikitin.
http://www.seipris.ru/ru/catalog.html?id=333

Unfortunately, this is all that was found on the Internet at the time:

The Germans, by the way, filmed their Tim Thaler in 1979: http://outnow.ch/Movies/1979/TimmThaler/Bilder/movie.fs/01 - there is a lot of footage from the German version in the link.

You can compare the German Tim Thaler (Thomas Ohrner) with the Soviet one:

It is completely different, less open, let’s say:

Well, older, of course:

But don't forget that in the book, Tim Thaler is 14 years old and turns 16 by the time the main events end.

And here is the main villain: Baron Trech. In the Soviet film he was played by Pavel Kadochnikov. Here is a different actor, and his name is not Trech. Trech - this is how Baron Lefuet was wittily translated into Russian, that is, an inverted Teufel - devil.

The role was played by actor Horst Frank.

I don’t know why, but this look really scares me:

By the way, there is a rather interesting interpretation of the image of the baron - not an old devil or a polished French dandy, but an attractive image of a sort of “blond beast”:

Interior of the baronial apartments:

Baron's car (remember, this is the late 1970s):

About the German series on Wikipedia: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timm_Thaler_(1979)
About Thomas Orner, who plays Tim Thaler: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ohrner
About Horst Frank, who plays Baron Tretsch: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst_Frank_(Schauspieler)

But, to be honest, it was difficult for me to perceive any other images of the characters in the book, except for those that were depicted on the pages of the publication that I read as a child and have kept to this day:

The illustrations for the book were once here, where I took them from on September 2, 2008, but now the link is not working:
James CREWS
James Kruss
Tim Thaler, or Sold Laughter
Timm Thaler oder Das Verkaufte Lachen
http://www.childhoodbooks.ru/gallery/descr/K/krjus_taler.htm#taler3

James Crews
James Kruss
(05/31/1926 [Helgoland, Germany] - 08/02/1997 [Great Canaries])
German poet and prose writer James Crews was born on May 31, 1926 on the island of Heligoland in the family of an electrician, the eldest son in a large family.
http://www.peoples.ru/art/literature/prose/national/james_kruss/

James Crews
Date of birth: May 31, 1926, Helgoland, Germany
Date of death: August 2, 1997, Grand Canaries, Spain
http://eldb.net/name/nm002701/

Once upon a time I came across old postcard with a view of the island of Heligoland, which I bought because of Crews:

But let's continue about the writer's biography:

James Crews
(Kruss, James)
1926-1997

German poet and prose writer James Crews was born on May 31, 1926 on the island of Heligoland in the family of an electrician, the eldest son in a large family. In 1941, when the war came close to the island, the family was evacuated to the mainland; Crews would return to Heligoland only in 1961.
Since the late summer of 1944, Crews was drafted into the German army and served in military aviation. After the defeat fascist Germany he goes to Hamburg. From 1946 to 1948, he studied at the Lüneburg Pedagogical School, but did not work in his specialty, but began to try his hand at literature.

The German prose writer Erich Kästner, whom he met in 1950, actively influenced Crews’ development as a writer; in particular, he convinced Crews to write for children. Since 1951, Crews has written extensively for various radio stations and magazines. In 1953, the first picture book, Hanselmann Travels Around the World, appeared.

Crews created several dozen books of poetry and prose, including the story “My Great-Grandfather and Me” (1959), awarded the “German Prize for Children’s and Youth Literature” for 1960, “When I Became King” (1961), “My great-grandfather, heroes and me" (1967), as well as lyrics, radio plays, television scripts, translated a lot into German With various languages. But his most famous work is the story “Tim Thaler, or Sold Laughter” (1962). In this adventurous fairy tale for teenagers, the author uses schemes borrowed from various classical works, for example, from Goethe's Faust. Saturation mythological motifs and literary allusions, with all its organicity, makes this story a classic of 20th-century literature, equally interesting to both children and adults.

In 1968, Crews was awarded the G.H. Medal. Andersen for his contribution to world literature for children. He summarized his literary views in the book “Naivety and Understanding of Art. Thoughts on children's literature" (1969).
James Crews died on August 2, 1997 in the Grand Canaries, where he had lived since 1966. He was buried in Heligoland.
http://www.beth.ru/kruess/kruess.htm

Covers of editions of the book "Tim Thaler or Sold Laughter" in Russian, except for the one shown in the top post:

These ones were clearly created under the influence of Nechaev’s film. Only Tim is really some kind of preschooler here:

The green cover is quite elegantly done, in my opinion:

Here the cover on the left seems unfortunate to me:

Judging by the style, the publication dates from the 60s and 70s:

One of my favorite episodes in the book and unexpectedly reproduced on the cover is the labyrinth of the Garden of Deceptions:

Covers of publications in other languages.

German:

In Bulgarian:

Audiobook covers, apparently:

This is such a different Tim Thaler...