An interesting allegory about the tension between being efficient and being in the moment. The story features a (presumably) orphan girl named Momo who is very good at just Being. Soon she has a cluster of friends who appreciate her for being very grounded and for being a good listener. However, this happiness is demolished when the Gray Men show up in town and entice people to be more efficient.

This is the sort of book I would have enjoyed more sometime between ages 15 and 25 when I was more interested in books that presented concepts and ideals--where characters represented a principle made flesh (such as dystopias). Now I like books where characters are conflicted and a lot more gray than black or white. Also, at times I felt as though Ende overexplained his allegory.

Nevertheless, I would recommend this as a critique of modernity and a critique of ambition / utilitarianism.