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The cover page is adapted from A Jester, a painting completed around 1519 by Marx Reichlich. The cover and title pages feature the League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy typefaces created in 2014 and 2009 by The League of Moveable Type. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marx_Reichlichwww.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/

The Adventurous Simplicissimus

by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen

Chapters (134)
  1. Dedication 0:00
  2. Introduction 0:16
  3. Book I: I: Treats of Simplicissimus’s Rustic Descent and of His Upbringing Answering Thereto 44:11
  4. II: Of the First Step Towards That Dignity to Which Simplicissimus Attained, to Which Is Added the Praise of Shepherds and Other Excellent Precepts 52:10
  5. III: Treats of the Sufferings of a Faithful Bagpipe 56:54
  6. IV: How Simplicissimus’s Palace Was Stormed, Plundered, and Ruinated, and in What Sorry Fashion the Soldiers Kept House There 1:02:13
  7. V: How Simplicissimus Took French Leave, and How He Was Terrified by Dead Trees 1:08:47
  8. VI: Is So Short and So Prayerful That Simplicissimus Thereupon Swoons Away 1:12:40
  9. VII: How Simplicissimus Was in a Poor Lodging Kindly Entreated 1:15:43
  10. VIII: How Simplicissimus by His Noble Discourse Proclaimed His Excellent Qualities 1:20:51
  11. IX: How Simplicissimus Was Changed from a Wild Beast Into a Christian 1:27:36
  12. X: In What Manner He Learned to Read and Write in the Wild Woods 1:33:44
  13. XI: Discourseth of Foods, Household Stuff, and Other Necessary Concerns, Which Folk Must Have in This Earthly Life 1:37:31
  14. XII: Tells of a Notable Fine Way, to Die Happy and to Have Oneself Buried at Small Cost 1:43:08
  15. XIII: How Simplicissimus Was Driven About Like a Straw in a Whirlpool 1:51:30
  16. XIV: A Quaint Comedia of Five Peasants 1:56:05
  17. XV: How Simplicissimus Was Plundered, and How He Dreamed of the Peasants and How They Fared in Times of War 2:04:53
  18. XVI: Of the Ways and Works of Soldiers Nowadays, and How Hardly a Common Soldier Can Get Promotion 2:08:17
  19. XVII: How It Happens That, Whereas in War the Nobles Are Ever Put Before the Common Men, Yet Many Do Attain from Despised Rank to High Honours 2:14:56
  20. XVIII: How Simplicissimus Took His First Step Into the World and That with Evil Luck 2:22:18
  21. XIX: How Simplicissimus Was Captured by Hanau and Hanau by Simplicissimus 2:26:16
  22. XX: In What Wise He Was Saved from Prison and Torture 2:33:04
  23. XXI: How Treacherous Dame Fortune Cast on Simplicissimus a Friendly Glance 2:39:58
  24. XXII: Who the Hermit Was by Whom Simplicissimus Was Cherished 2:44:44
  25. XXIII: How Simplicissimus Became a Page: And Likewise, How the Hermit’s Wife Was Lost 2:53:34
  26. XXIV: How Simplicissimus Blamed the World and Saw Many Idols Therein 2:58:03
  27. XXV: How Simplicissimus Found the World All Strange and the World Found Him Strange Likewise 3:09:23
  28. XXVI: A New and Strange Way for Men to Wish One Another Luck and to Welcome One Another 3:17:46
  29. XXVII: How Simplicissimus Discoursed with the Secretary, and How He Found a False Friend 3:21:52
  30. XXVIII: How Simplicissimus Got Two Eyes Out of One Calf’s-Head 3:29:04
  31. XXIX: How a Man Step by Step May Attain Unto Intoxication and Finally Unawares Become Blind Drunk 3:32:35
  32. XXX: Still Treats of Naught but of Drinking Bouts, and How to Be Rid of Parsons Thereat 3:39:45
  33. XXXI: How the Lord Governor Shot a Very Foul Fox 3:43:32
  34. XXXII: How Simplicissimus Spoiled the Dance 3:46:48
  35. Book II: I: How a Goose and a Gander Were Mated 3:51:47
  36. II: Concerning the Merits and Virtues of a Good Bath at the Proper Season 3:55:13
  37. III: How the Other Page Received Payment for His Teaching, and How Simplicissimus Was Chosen to Be a Fool 3:59:37
  38. IV: Concerning the Man That Pays the Money, and of the Military Service That Simplicissimus Did for the Crown of Sweden: Through Which Service He Got the Name of Simplicissimus 4:08:14
  39. V: How Simplicissimus Was by Four Devils Brought Into Hell and There Treated with Spanish Wine 4:13:26
  40. VI: How Simplicissimus Went Up to Heaven and Was Turned Into a Calf 4:20:47
  41. VII: How Simplicissimus Accommodated Himself to the State of a Brute Beast 4:26:11
  42. VIII: Discourseth of the Wondrous Memory of Some and the Forgetfulness of Others 4:34:10
  43. IX: Crooked Praise of a Proper Lady 4:41:42
  44. X: Discourseth of Naught but Heroes and Famous Artists 4:47:35
  45. XI: Of the Toilsome and Dangerous Office of a Governor 4:57:29
  46. XII: Of the Sense and Knowledge of Certain Unreasoning Animals 5:07:12
  47. XIII: Of Various Matters Which Whoever Will Know Must Either Read Them or Have Them Read to Him 5:12:54
  48. XIV: How Simplicissimus Led the Life of a Nobleman, and How the Croats Robbed Him of This When They Stole Himself 5:22:37
  49. XV: Of Simplicissimus’ Life with the Troopers, and What He Saw and Learned Among the Croats 5:27:52
  50. XVI: How Simplicissimus Found Goodly Spoils, and How He Became a Thievish Brother of the Woods 5:33:51
  51. XVII: How Simplicissimus Was Present at a Dance of Witches 5:40:35
  52. XVIII: Doth Prove That No Man Can Lay to Simplicissimus’ Charge That He Doth Draw the Long Bow 5:48:24
  53. XIX: How Simplicissimus Became a Fool Again as He Had Been a Fool Before 5:53:50
  54. XX: Is Pretty Long, and Treats of Playing with Dice and What Hangs Thereby 5:59:30
  55. XXI: Is Somewhat Shorter and More Entertaining Than the Last 6:15:37
  56. XXII: A Rascally Trick to Step Into Another Man’s Shoes 6:22:47
  57. XXIII: How Ulrich Herzbruder Sold Himself for a Hundred Ducats 6:27:57
  58. XXIV: How Two Prophecies Were Fulfilled at Once 6:32:35
  59. XXV: How Simplicissimus Was Transformed from a Boy Into a Girl and Fell Into Divers Adventures of Love 6:38:35
  60. XXVI: How He Was Imprisoned for a Traitor and Enchanter 6:50:08
  61. XXVII: How the Provost Fared in the Battle of Wittstock 6:56:33
  62. XXVIII: Of a Great Battle Wherein the Conqueror Is Captured in the Hour of Triumph 7:04:17
  63. XXIX: How a Notably Pious Soldier Fared in Paradise, and How the Huntsman Filled His Place 7:09:49
  64. XXX: How the Huntsman Carried Himself When He Began to Learn the Trade of War: Wherefrom a Young Soldier May Learn Somewhat 7:21:04
  65. XXXI: How the Devil Stole the Parson’s Bacon and How the Huntsman Caught Himself 7:28:44
  66. Book III: I: How the Huntsman Went Too Far to the Left Hand 7:45:43
  67. II: How the Huntsman of Soest Did Rid Himself of the Huntsman of Wesel 7:53:48
  68. III: How the Great God Jupiter Was Captured and How He Revealed the Counsels of the Gods 8:03:38
  69. IV: Of the German Hero That Shall Conquer the Whole World and Bring Peace to All Nations 8:10:10
  70. V: How He Shall Reconcile All Religions and Cast Them in the Same Mould 8:19:56
  71. VI: How the Embassy of the Fleas Fared with Jupiter 8:26:06
  72. VII: How the Huntsman Again Secured Honour and Booty 8:32:20
  73. VIII: How He Found the Devil in the Trough, and How Jump-I’-Th’-Field Got Fine Horses 8:39:59
  74. IX: Of an Unequal Combat in Which the Weakest Wins the Day and the Conqueror Is Captured 8:46:55
  75. X: How the Master-General of Ordnance Granted the Huntsman His Life and Held Out Hopes to Him of Great Things 8:55:18
  76. XI: Contains All Manner of Matters of Little Import and Great Imagination 9:04:23
  77. XII: How Fortune Unexpectedly Bestowed on the Huntsman a Noble Present 9:11:27
  78. XIII: Of Simplicissimus’ Strange Fancies and Castles in the Air, and How He Guarded His Treasure 9:22:35
  79. XIV: How the Huntsman Was Captured by the Enemy 9:33:06
  80. XV: On What Condition the Huntsman Was Set Free 9:42:53
  81. XVI: How Simplicissimus Became a Nobleman 9:49:37
  82. XVII: How the Huntsman Disposed Himself to Pass His Six Months: And Also Somewhat of the Prophetess 9:56:35
  83. XVIII: How the Huntsman Went a Wooing, and Made a Trade of It 10:05:11
  84. XIX: By What Means the Huntsman Made Friends, and How He Was Moved by a Sermon 10:10:34
  85. XX: How He Gave the Faithful Priest Other Fish to Fry, to Cause Him to Forget His Own Hoggish Life 10:16:39
  86. XXI: How Simplicissimus All Unawares Was Made a Married Man 10:23:20
  87. XXII: How Simplicissimus Held His Wedding-Feast and How He Purposed to Begin His New Life 10:36:54
  88. XXIII: How Simplicissimus Came to a Certain Town (Which He Nameth for Convenience Cologne) to Fetch His Treasure 10:44:48
  89. XXIV: How the Huntsman Caught a Hare in the Middle of a Town 10:55:50
  90. Book IV: I: How and for What Reason the Huntsman Was Jockeyed Away Into France 11:03:44
  91. II: How Simplicissimus Found a Better Host Than Before 11:11:00
  92. III: How He Became a Stage Player and Got Himself a New Name 11:17:14
  93. IV: How Simplicissimus Departed Secretly and How He Believed He Had the Neapolitan Disease 11:26:51
  94. V: How Simplicissimus Pondered on His Past Life, and How with the Water Up to His Mouth He Learned to Swim 11:33:03
  95. VI: How He Became a Vagabond Quack and a Cheat 11:38:06
  96. VII: How the Doctor Was Fitted with a Musket Under Captain Curmudgeon 11:45:26
  97. VIII: How Simplicissimus Endured a Cheerless Bath in the Rhine 11:52:50
  98. IX: Wherefore Clergymen Should Never Eat Hares That Have Been Taken in a Snare 12:02:52
  99. X: How Simplicissimus Was All Unexpectedly Quit of His Musket 12:07:23
  100. XI: Discourses of the Order of the Marauder Brothers 12:14:59
  101. XII: Of a Desperate Fight for Life in Which Each Party Doth Yet Escape Death 12:23:18
  102. XIII: How Oliver Conceived That He Could Excuse His Brigand’s Tricks 12:30:03
  103. XIV: How Oliver Explained Herzbruder’s Prophecy to His Own Profit, and So Came to Love His Worst Enemy 12:37:36
  104. XV: How Simplicissimus Thought More Piously When He Went A-Plundering Than Did Oliver When He Went to Church 12:43:53
  105. XVI: Of Oliver’s Descent, and How He Behaved in His Youth, and Specially at School 12:51:31
  106. XVIII: How He Studied at Liège, and How He There Demeaned Himself 12:56:24
  107. XVIII: Of the Homecoming and Departure of This Worshipful Student, and How He Sought to Obtain Advancement in the Wars 13:01:21
  108. XIX: How Simplicissimus Fulfilled Herzbruder’s Prophecy to Oliver Before Yet Either Knew the Other 13:06:50
  109. XX: How It Doth Fare with a Man on Whom Evil Fortune Doth Rain Cats and Dogs 13:13:40
  110. XXI: A Brief Example of That Trade Which Oliver Followed, Wherein He Was a Master and Simplicissimus Should Be a Prentice 13:21:03
  111. XXII: How Oliver Bit the Dust and Took Six Good Men with Him 13:28:48
  112. XXIII: How Simplicissimus Became a Rich Man and Herzbruder Fell Into Great Misery 13:33:41
  113. XXIV: Of the Manner in Which Herzbruder Fell Into Such Evil Plight 13:41:55
  114. Book V: I: How Simplicissimus Turned Palmer and Went on a Pilgrimage with Herzbruder 13:50:16
  115. II: How Simplicissimus, Being Terrified of the Devil, Was Converted 13:58:56
  116. III: How the Two Friends Spent the Winter 14:04:35
  117. IV: In What Manner Simplicissimus and Herzbruder Went to the Wars Again and Returned Thence 14:11:29
  118. V: How Simplicissimus Rode Courier and in the Likeness of Mercury Learned from Jove What His Design Was as Regards War and Peace 14:18:25
  119. VI: A Story of a Trick That Simplicissimus Played at the Spa 14:30:14
  120. VII: How Herzbruder Died and How Simplicissimus Again Fell to Wanton Courses 14:35:52
  121. VIII: How Simplicissimus Found His Second Marriage Turn Out, and How He Met with His Dad and Learned Who His Parents Had Been 14:43:40
  122. IX: In What Manner the Pains of Childbirth Came Upon Him, and How He Became a Widower 14:55:37
  123. X: Relation of Certain Peasants Concerning the Wonderful Mummelsee 15:00:28
  124. XI: Of the Marvellous Thanksgiving of a Patient, and of the Holy Thoughts Thereby Awakened in Simplicissimus 15:07:56
  125. XII: How Simplicissimus Journeyed with the Sylphs to the Centre of the Earth 15:13:03
  126. XIII to XVI 15:21:58
  127. XVII: How Simplicissimus Returned from the Middle of the Earth, and of His Strange Fancies, His Aircastles, His Calculations; and How He Reckoned Without His Host 15:22:28
  128. XVIII: How Simplicissimus Wasted His Spring in the Wrong Place 15:31:12
  129. XIX 15:39:30
  130. XX: Treats of a Trifling Promenade from the Black Forest to Moscow in Russia 15:39:40
  131. XXI: How Simplicissimus Further Fared in Moscow 15:49:02
  132. XXII: By What a Short and Merry Road He Came Home to His Dad 16:01:53
  133. XXIII: Is Very Short and Concerneth Simplicissimus Alone 16:08:09
  134. XXIV: Why and in What Fashion Simplicissimus Left the World Again 16:11:45
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The horrors of the Thirty Years’ War hadn’t yet touched the life of the young boy living in the Spessart in seventeenth-century Germany, but when he accidentally leads a group of Landsknechte back to the family farm, disaster strikes, leaving him homeless and wandering the forest. A chance meeting with a hermit gives him a name—Simplicius Simplicissimus—and a new-found appreciation for the Christian faith; but this comparative calm is but a brief respite before he’s thrown back into the wider context of the ongoing war. Now a soldier, Simplicissimus is tossed from one adventure to the next, each more incredible than the last.

Published in 1668 and 1669, The Adventurous Simplicissimus has had an enduring legacy both as a satirical picaresque novel, and as a historical recollection of the injustices of the Thirty Years’ War. Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen had been been a soldier during that conflict, but in later life he become a magistrate, giving him the opportunity to write and to reflect on his own experiences—something that’s also a key part of Simplicissimus’s own approach.

These stories have received much praise over the years, and have even been considered to be the genesis of the adventure novel genre. Thomas Mann was a fan of its “involuntary magnificence” and Johann Strauss adapted the story into an operetta.

The 1912 translation presented here is somewhat idiosyncratic; Goodrick seems to have chosen to simply decline to translate the handful of parts he found most boring or scandalous, and leaves out the majority of the sixth book as “monotonous,” with the exception of an appendix containing the final few chapters in which Simplicissimus is stranded on an uninhabited island. It would take another fifty years for an unexpurgated English translation to be published.

Narrator
Qwen3-TTS Aiden
Length
16 h 13 min
Language
English
Released
September 20, 2026
Source ebook
Standard Ebooks
Cover of The Adventurous Simplicissimus by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen