Und das Buch ist ausgelesen! Woohoo! Ich rede oder schreibe zwar nicht oft auf Deutsch, aber es hat Spaß gemacht. Falls Sie Fehler finden in meinem Text, bitte, korrigieren Sie mich. Ich will immer dazulernen. Auf jedem Fall bin ich zwei Personen dankbar, dass sie "Oneiros" empfohlen haben: Stefanie Roels und Laura (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqF_WhRmK4o).

"Oneiros" ist spannend geschrieben, aber auch einfach irgendwie. Markus Heitz hat einen Schreibstil, der zulasst schnell von eimen Kapitel zum Nächsten zu lesen. Nicht nur das, auch die Geschichte an sich macht es so, dass man das Buch nicht leicht niederlegen kann oder will.

Es handelt sich um einen Fluch, einen Tödlichen Fluch. Wenn Todesschläfers schlafen, sind sie unsichtbar für den Tod, aber er kann sie hören. Also, statt diese Personen tötet er dann alle anderen Menschen (und Tieren, usw.), die in der Nähe sind.

Es gibt verschiedene Personen, die mitspielen: der Bestatter Konstatin Korff, Thielke, Frau Von Windau, Jester (MI6 - Britische Intelligenz) und mehr.

Ich werde nicht zuviel sagen zum Inhalt, es gibt bessere Resenzionen dafür. Ich will allerdings sagen, dass die Geschichte sich sehr überraschend entwickelt, wie Alles miteinander verwickelt ist. Meiner Meinung nach. Es gibt ja eine Lösung zum Problem der Schläfer. Aber das müssen Sie selbst lesen. :-)

Kurz gesagt: sehr empfehlenswert!

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Going for an English view on the matter, which is easier for me to write.

And I finished the book! Yes! Two people recommended "Oneiros" to me (see above) and I have to agree that this is one fine story. Dark, not very happy, actually very realistic at most times and a little frightening (in my opinion).

I read the German (= original) version, because I wanted to practise and improve my German, also because I have to speak and write it now and then for my work. And since it's more convenient to learn a language by the type of stories one usually likes reading (Fantasy in my case), Markus Heitz's newest book was an obvious choice, even though I've never read anything by him.

"Oneiros" is an exciting story about deathsleepers. Or, let's just say that some people are cursed: when they fall asleep - unlike normal people - Death cannot see them, yet he can hear them. And so he destroys/kills everything around the sleeping person while attempting to find that specific person. So, in this story, there are several of those deathsleepers, one of them a narcoleptic. And one of his attacks is the beginning of a series of mass killings. Obviously, certain people and organizations are looking for him to prevent further damage. Or the contrary.

Another main character is Konstantin Korff. He's a mortician and has several tasks at hand, including very important people. Thus he travels around Europe, so to speak, as he's famous for his work and said to be the best. And so people are prepared to pay loads for his services. But he too has the curse, fears sleep when he's with beloved ones.

Then there's Von Windau, a doctor who's also cursed, has not long to live and runs a clinic in White-Russia, where she transplants brains from one body to the next, to prolong life and thus trick Death. But she needs people to work with, so she travels around the world with fake names to bait other deathsleepers. In the end... well, I didn't expect her fate to be like that, which is kudos for Heitz's story-writing.

Then there's an older man named Thielke, another one with the curse, but he has found his own method.

And there is indeed a solution to the problem, but it's connected to a whole industry of money, power, greed, richness.

"Oneiros" is a very dark story, though there is love and happiness, too. And unexpected twists, I must say. Maybe some of you saw from miles away how it all would conclude, or how things are connected, but Markus Heitz gives little away; you get more insight as you read on and you can make the puzzle yourself.

Heitz is also not afraid to tear down what he constructed. In other words, when you think all is going well story-wise, a relation goes broke, killings occur, and so on. So he manages to surprise the reader now and then, all the while keeping it exciting and full of tension.

Let's finish: When I said it's frightening at times, it concerns the chirurgic parts of the storytelling. It's very realistic, though apparently science isn't that far yet. To me, it will certainly happen one day. If only because there's money to be made with it, as with many things today.

This was my second German book, after Andreas Eschbach's "Die Haarteppichknüpfer" and I liked it a lot! Heitz's writing style is quite simple, by manner of speech. He makes the story easy to read, easy to follow along, despite a few difficult (not only technical, but also because my German knowledge lacks here and there) words (and a few dumb editing errors). I can see why he's so popular with regards to his Fantasy books. In any case, if you're looking for an original (in my opinion, it is) and dark story, though with a (somehow) happy outcome (yes, there IS a solution to the curse) - the ending is open, however, and Heitz says at the end that he's not currently planning a sequel, but as far as "Oneiros" is concerned, all is told in the very book - then I suggest you give "Oneiros" a shot.

Highly recommended! ( )

DNF. I actually believe the reason this didn't gel for me, was a slightly wacky translation.. There was some really strange word usage, as if maybe the translator hadn't quite hit on the correct word definition.. Like using a synonym that was a bit left of the word actually needed in the sentence? It threw a bit too off kilter, to really want to continue with it.. I wouldn't mind checking out the original German one day though, because the premise was quite intriguing..

Am Anfang war ich skeptisch und habe eine zeitlang gebraucht, bis ich mich eingelesen habe. Das Buch ist sehr spannend - manchmal allerdings etwas weit hergeholt. Auch handeln die PErsonen nicht immer auf dem ihnen angemessenen Niveau. Doch das Thema ist sehr spannend. Auch wenn es fraglich ist, ob ein Mensch, der über solche MAcht verfügt tatsächlich nur solch "geringen" Schaden anrichten würde. Wenn man sich das ganze Ausmaß vor Augen führt ...aber gottlob ist es ja nur Fiktion ;) ( )