Material Matters Architecture and Material Practice Book

3.5 stars. This book suffers from the expectation it raises amongst those who enjoyed the Winnetou trilogy, since it is often advertised as a continuation, as Winnetou IV. Mostly, it is an attempt by Karl May to reconcile his earlier writing, especially his most popular character, with the reality of his later travels, visiting the places he had until then only encountered in his fantasy. As such, the familiar characters and places he revisits are seen through a distorted double vision, by the writer as well as the reader. There are some remnants of their youthful characters which at time violently compete with their more mature reinvention, settled and refurbished, but also less vibrant and struggling against the reality of the encroaching modern civilization.

Karl May tries to push his newly articulated pacifistic and philantropic philosophy, which represents not so much a departure from his earlier principles, but a change of narrative focus. Yet, he never quite manages to divorce himself from his earlier narrative techniques and favourite schemes. This novel is still very much a transitional work.