The fairytale character of the story, combined with the plain, contemporary language, make Koning van Katoren a timeless classic.

In a vivid, often humorous style, Terlouw describes how Stach is able to complete all of the tasks successfully and finally become king of Katoren. And circumstances in Ekumeni, where Stach has to bring twelve shambling churches together to form one stable church, seem even more relevant in these days of religious wars than when the book was first published. The situation in Smogg, for example, where a dragon is suffocating the inhabitants of the city with its poisonous breath, is not much different from the smogfilled cities of our own time.

The six ministers, with names that reflect their personalities, appear to have stepped right out of the enchanting world of the Brothers Grimm, but the seven tasks that they dream up for the young Stach are surprisingly similar to the problems of our modern society. Door de zeven moeilijke opdrachten, die de 17-jarige Stach met moed en slimheid tracht te volbrengen voordat hij koning kan worden, beleeft hij vreemde fantasie-avonturen, maar. Koning van Katoren (How To Become King, 1971) reads like a modern fairytale. The six ministers are convinced that Stach will fall at the first hurdle, but he turns out to have an amazing amount of persistence and ingenuity. The ministers, afraid of losing their splendid position at court, give the boy seven almost impossible tasks, which can be brought to a successful conclusion only by one who possesses kingly attributes such as wisdom, courage and self-sacrifice. This boy, Stach, has firmly resolved to become the new king of Katoren and he asks the six ministers what he must do in order to be considered for the role.

Koning van Katoren by Jan Terlouw