Editor’s note: Nieve is an avid reader, writer and artist who will be selecting interesting books to review and discuss monthly.
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Part I: The magic of a good ear
For those who haven’t read Momo, by the author of The Neverending Story, I would strongly recommend it, either as a summer book, or for any time of year… or any time of life. I say this because I’ve noticed Ende’s books tend to be seen as just “children’s books”, when most of them have many levels -there’s one level for children, and then there’s also one for each of the different levels of understanding from an adult point of view.
Momo is a little girl with no past, no parents, no age, and no home, who ends up settling in a poor neighbourhood in the outskirts of an unnamed city. She quickly finds her new “home” inside the ruins of an old amphitheatre, and that’s how the story begins. Despite her unique circumstances, Momo would be just like any other child, except for the effect that her presence seems to have on others: the way she listens brings out the best of anyone she listens to. The neighbours, young and old, quickly grow fond of her because of this. The children come up with the most amusing and exciting games when she’s there with them. The adults find themselves, or solve their problems and disputes, as long as they’re talking in front of her. The young storyteller who becomes one of her best friends, has never been so inspired or come up with so many stories before. Momo’s listening is a mystery; apparently no one can listen like her…
Unless you are lucky enough to have met someone in real life who can listen like Momo, it can be difficult to imagine and truly understand the amazing effects of a good ear. How far listening can go, how magical and even healing it can be. This is not just fantasy, it’s not just part of a story… this book is talking about our world nowadays.
Even though “Momo” was published in the 70’s, it feels like it’s addressing today’s issues, more than it did the issues of its own time. In these days, hardly anyone remembers how to listen, let alone know what it feels like to talk and know that you’re actually being listened to. This has become so commonplace, that most people don’t even realise there’s no listening, because they have never experienced such a thing. On the other hand, those who do realise it, end up paying for someone to listen to them and even that listening happens to be fake in many cases… because not even professionals are being taught how to truly listen.
However, having a good ear isn’t limited to listening to others when they’re talking: a silent conversation with true listening can communicate way more than any words could. Think of those eye-contact moments when you can almost know what the other person is thinking… A good listening attitude can allow silences between two people to be perfectly comfortable and meaningful. In the same way, this listening attitude applies to creative processes and inspiration moments: having enough silence and a listening attitude inside your mind while writing, for example, allows you to “hear” the story more clearly. Listening to the characters in our stories, makes them “speak to us”, and it is, therefore, the ultimate cure for “writer’s block”… even if it takes some patience and a long wait till the characters start showing themselves.
‘Momo’ can also help us realise how much good we can do and give around us with just our presence -as long as it’s our fully dedicated, non-distracted and truly honest presence-, and a good pair of ears (or a pair of eyes if we’re reading someone’s letter or text). The simplicity of Momo’s listening -she’s just being herself, she doesn’t even say anything, but simply lends her presence openly-, is a perfect example of our true nature, showing us the infinite good potential we were born with, and, perhaps, it will even inspire the reader to awaken their inner listener and start spreading the magic.
‘Momo’ is not only an interesting story -that kind of different and unique fantasy story that’s not so easy to find nowadays-, but it’s also very meaningful. If anything, I’ve noticed an alarming decrease or total lack of meaning in most popular books and movies nowadays; that’s one more reason why I would recommend reading it.
There will be a few more articles about ‘Momo’ within this month, so for those who are interested in joining us on this surreal adventure, grab a copy and start reading today!
