Momo, also known as The Grey Gentlemen or The Men in Grey, is a fantasy novel by Michael Ende, published in 1973. It is about the concept of time and how it is used by humans in modern societies.

Plot summary

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In the ruins of an amphitheatre just outside an unnamed Italian city lives Momo, a little girl of mysterious origin. She is remarkable in the neighbourhood because she has the extraordinary ability to listen — really listen. By simply being with people and listening to them, she can help them find answers to their problems, make up with each other, and think of fun games. The expression "go and see Momo!" has become synonymous with panacea and Momo has become the friend of everyone, especially honest street-cleaner Beppo and poetic tour guide Guido (also known as "Gigi").

This pleasant atmosphere is spoiled by the arrival of the Men in Grey. These strange individuals represent the Timesavings Bank and promote the idea of timesaving among the population, time which can be deposited to the Bank and returned to the client later with interest. They then make people forget all about them but not about the resolution to save as much time as possible "for later use". Gradually, the sinister influence of the Men in Grey affects the whole city: life becomes sterile, devoid of all things considered time-wasting, like art, imagination or even sleeping. Buildings and clothing are made exactly the same for everyone and the rhythms of life become hectic. In reality, the more time people save, the less they have. The time they save is actually lost to them; instead, it is consumed by the Men in Grey in the form of cigars, made from the dried petals of the hour-lilies that represent time.

Momo, however, is a wrench in the plans of the Timesaving Bank thanks to her special personality. The Men in Grey try various plans to take care of her, but they all fail. When even her closest friends fall under the influence of the Men in Grey in one way or another, Momo's only hope to save the time of mankind is the personification of Time Professor Hora and Cassiopeia, a tortoise which can communicate through writing on her shell and can see thirty minutes into the future. Momo's adventure will take her from the depths of her heart, where her own time flows from in the form of lovely hour-lilies, to the lair of the Men in Grey themselves, where the time people believe they save is hoarded.

Major themes

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Like his well-known work The Neverending Story, Michael Ende uses fantasy and symbolism to deal with real world matters such as the nature and importance of time, the power of stories, friendship, compassion and the value of the small but pleasant things that make life more worth living. For these reasons Momo is a popular work of Ende, right after The Neverending Story.

The main theme of Momo can be seen as a criticism of consumerism and stress. It describes the personal and social losses produced by unnecessary consumption, and the danger to be driven by a hidden interest group with enough power to induce people into this life style.

Childhood is also an important subject in many of Ende's books. In Momo it's used to offer contrast with the adult society. As children have "all the time in the world", they are a difficult target for the Men in Grey: children can't be convinced that their games are time-wasting. The author uses a mockery of Barbie doll and other expensive toys as symbols to show how anyone can be persuaded, even indirectly, into consumerism.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

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• Momo was made into a film of Italian/German production in 1986 in which Michael Ende himself played a small role.
• The book has also been acted in radio programmes and turned into a 2001 cartoon feature.
• There have been a number of stage adaptations, including an opera written by Ende himself and an English language version by Andy Thackeray.

External links

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• http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~bhirsch/momo.html A chapter from Momo, where one of the Men in Grey persuades a prospective client/victim to save his time. An excellent showcase of the philosophy and work methods of the Men in Grey.
• Website for cartoon version

1973 novels | Fantasy novels | German novels

Momo | Momo (novela) | Momo (romanzo) | מומו | モモ (児童文学) | Momo | โมโม