Buildings and clothing are made exactly the same for everyone, and the rhythms of life become hectic. Gradually, the sinister influence of the Men in Grey affects the whole city: life becomes sterile, devoid of all things considered time-wasting, like social activities, recreation, art, imagination, or sleeping. After encountering the Men in Grey, people are made to forget all about them, but not about the resolution to save as much time as possible for later use. Appearing in the form of grey-clad, grey-skinned, bald men, these strange individuals present themselves as representing the Timesavings Bank and promote the idea of "timesaving" among the population: supposedly, time can be deposited in the Bank and returned to the client later with interest. This pleasant atmosphere is spoiled by the arrival of the Men in Grey, eventually revealed as a species of paranormal parasites stealing the time of humans.
The advice given to people "go and see Momo!" has become a household phrase and Momo makes many friends, especially an honest, silent street-cleaner, Beppo, and a poetic, extroverted tour guide, Gigi (Guido in some translations). By simply being with people and listening to them, she can help them find answers to their problems, make up with each other, and think of fun games. When asked, she replies, "As far as I remember, I've always been around." She is remarkable in the neighbourhood because she has the extraordinary ability to listen-really listen. She is illiterate and cannot count, and she doesn't know how old she is. She came to the ruin, parentless and wearing a long, used coat. In the ruins of an amphitheatre just outside an unnamed city lives Momo, a little girl of mysterious origin. The book won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 1974.
The full title in German ( Momo oder Die seltsame Geschichte von den Zeit-Dieben und von dem Kind, das den Menschen die gestohlene Zeit zurückbrachte) translates to Momo, or the strange story of the time-thieves and the child who brought the stolen time back to the people. It is about the concept of time and how it is used by humans in modern societies. Momo, also known as The Grey Gentlemen or The Men in Grey, is a fantasy novel by Michael Ende, published in 1973.
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