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Quick answer: If you read Tyll, read Daniel Kehlmann's Measuring the World and Fame, then Simplicissimus, Candide, The Tin Drum and Wolf Hall. All are inventive historical or satirical novels about war, power and trickery.
Daniel Kehlmann's 2017 novel reimagines Till Eulenspiegel, the legendary jester, as a wanderer who travels through Germany during the Thirty Years' War, meeting kings, scientists and common people. It is playful, dark and sharply observed. The books below offer similar tales of tricksters, wars and the absurdity of power.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measuring the World | Daniel Kehlmann | Adult | Kehlmann's hit |
| Fame | Daniel Kehlmann | Adult | linked stories |
| You Should Have Left | Daniel Kehlmann | Adult | short horror |
| Simplicissimus | Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen | Adult | war picaresque |
| Candide | Voltaire | Adult | satirical adventure |
| Don Quixote | Miguel de Cervantes | Adult | the first comic novel |
| The Tin Drum | Gunter Grass | Adult | German satire |
| Mother Courage and Her Children | Bertolt Brecht | Adult | war play |
| Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel | Adult | Tudor intrigue |
| Hamnet | Maggie O'Farrell | Adult | historical grief |
| The Adventures of Baron Munchausen | Rudolf Erich Raspe | Adult | tall tales |
| Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | Susanna Clarke | Adult | historical magic |
| The Master and Margarita | Mikhail Bulgakov | Adult | satire and fantasy |
| The Good Soldier Svejk | Jaroslav Hasek | Adult | military absurdity |
| Burial Rites | Hannah Kent | Adult | last execution in Iceland |
1. Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann
The mathematician Gauss and the explorer Humboldt meet. Witty and light.
Best for: Kehlmann's hit.
2. Fame by Daniel Kehlmann
Nine tales of celebrity, technology and identity. Clever and funny.
Best for: linked stories.
3. You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann
A writer and his family rent a house that seems wrong. Short and eerie.
Best for: short horror.
4. Simplicissimus by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen
A boy wanders through the Thirty Years' War. A classic of German literature.
Best for: war picaresque.
5. Candide by Voltaire
A naive young man is told that all is for the best. Short, funny and sharp.
Best for: satirical adventure.
6. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
A man reads too many romances and sets out as a knight. Long, funny and wise.
Best for: the first comic novel.
7. The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass
A boy refuses to grow up during the rise of Nazism. Wild and haunting.
Best for: German satire.
8. Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht
A canteen woman follows the armies of the Thirty Years' War. Sharp and bleak.
Best for: war play.
9. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Thomas Cromwell rises in Henry VIII's court. Rich, long and brilliant.
Best for: Tudor intrigue.
10. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Shakespeare's family and the death of his son. Lyrical and moving.
Best for: historical grief.
11. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Rudolf Erich Raspe
A nobleman tells outrageous stories. Silly and classic.
Best for: tall tales.
12. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Two magicians revive English magic in the Napoleonic era. Long, witty and rich.
Best for: historical magic.
13. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Devil visits Soviet Moscow. Wild, funny and sad.
Best for: satire and fantasy.
14. The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek
A foolish soldier survives the First World War through apparent stupidity. Sprawling and funny.
Best for: military absurdity.
15. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
A servant awaits execution in 1829. Atmospheric and sad.
Best for: last execution in Iceland.
How to Choose
For more Kehlmann begin with Measuring the World. For satire choose Candide, The Good Soldier Svejk or The Master and Margarita. For war and wandering pick Simplicissimus, Mother Courage and The Tin Drum. For historical novels read Wolf Hall or Hamnet. For playful tall tales try Baron Munchausen. Tyll is short and quick, so these picks suit readers who enjoy ideas with their stories. Tyll was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, and Kehlmann is among the most widely read German novelists today. His books are often translated by Ross Benjamin. Kehlmann's historical novels are short and light-footed, so they suit readers who find the genre heavy. If you like his wit, Voltaire and Hasek share the satirical spirit. If you want more of the war, Mother Courage is a powerful short play. Audiobooks of translated fiction are widely available.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tyll about?
A trickster wanders through Germany during the Thirty Years' War.
Who wrote it?
Daniel Kehlmann.
When was it published?
2017 in German, 2020 in English.
Is it based on a legend?
Yes, on Till Eulenspiegel.
Is it funny?
Yes, though dark.
Is it historical fiction?
Yes, with a playful, modern voice.
Who translated it?
Ross Benjamin.
What should I read next?
Try Measuring the World or Candide.
Who was Till Eulenspiegel?
A trickster of German folklore known for pranks and satire.
Is Tyll a good first Kehlmann?
Many readers start with Measuring the World, but Tyll is a fine choice.
Which book here is best for war picaresque?
Try Simplicissimus by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen, which suits readers looking for war picaresque.
Which book here is best for German satire?
Try The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass, which suits readers looking for German satire.
Which book here is best for historical grief?
Try Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, which suits readers looking for historical grief.
Which book here is best for satire and fantasy?
Try The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, which suits readers looking for satire and fantasy.