Timm Thaler (novel)

{{Short description|1962 children's novel by James Krüss}}

{{Expand German|topic=cult|date=October 2011|Timm Thaler}}

{{Infobox book

| name = Timm Thaler
oder Das Verkaufte Lachen

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| image = Timm Thaler James Kruss.jpg

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| author = James Krüss

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| country = Germany

| language = German

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| genre = Science fiction

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| isbn = 4-89642-097-7

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| followed_by = Timm Thalers Puppen oder Die verkaufte Menschenliebe

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Timm Thaler oder Das verkaufte Lachen (roughly translated as Timm Thaler, or the Traded Laughter and best known as simply Timm Thaler) is a 1962 children's novel by German author James Krüss. Regarded by the Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature as Krüss' best known children's book, Timm Thaler tells the story of a boy who trades his enchanting laughter to a wealthy mysterious Mephistopheles-like Baron in exchange for the ability to win any bet he makes. Regretting the exchange, he undertakes a four-year journey to win his laughter back. In 1979, Krüss wrote a sequel novel, Timm Thalers Puppen oder Die verkaufte Menschenliebe (roughly translated as Timm Thaler's Puppets, or the Traded Love for Mankind).{{cite book|title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature Volume 2|page=388|author=Jack David Zipes|publisher=Oxford University Press}}

The popular story was subsequently adapted into a 13-part German children's television miniseries in 1979,{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.de/Timm-Thaler-Collectors-Box-komplette/dp/B0000D9R11/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1319896905&sr=1-1|title=Timm Thaler Collector's Box - Die komplette Serie (Folgen 1-13)|accessdate=October 29, 2011|website=Amazon (German)}} and again, as a 2-part Soviet musical television movie in 1981.{{cite web|url=http://www.russiandvd.com/store/product.asp?sku=39814&aid=6729|title=Проданный смех (Sold Laughter)|accessdate=October 29, 2011|website=RussianDVD (Russian)}} The story was later re-adapted into an animated German television series in 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.kika.de/scripts/fernsehen/a_z/index.cfm?b=t&a=2&i=716|title=KI.KA - Fernsehen - Sendungen von A-Z - Timm Thaler|accessdate=October 29, 2011|website=KiKA (German)}}