Tuesday, 21 December 2010

Merry Christmas Everyone

A delivery of this lovely little hardback book has arrived just in time for Christmas.

Paul Auster’s charming Christmas fable has found new life in this beautifully illustrated edition.

It begins with a dilemma: a writer has been asked by the New York Times to produce a story that will appear in the paper on Christmas morning. The man agrees, but he has a problem: how do you write an unsentimental Christmas story? He unburdens himself to his friend at the local cigar shop, a colourful character called Auggie Wren. ‘A Christmas story? Is that all?’ says Auggie, before striking a deal. For the price of lunch he’ll pass on ‘the best Christmas story you’ve ever heard. And I guarantee every word of it is true.’

What follows is utterly beguiling, a story - involving a blind woman, a lost wallet and a Christmas dinner - in which everything is turned upside down
Posted by Orkney Library and Archive presents 'At home with Faber' at 16:49

9 comments:

  1. My warmest thanks to Faber & Faber for this charming and unexpected gift to members of the At Home with Faber online reading group. Not only was I notified of the publisher’s generosity by Orkney Library & Archive and offered to pick up a copy, but it was posted out to me when I replied that I’d be unable to do so until the icy conditions of our streets improved. So, a massive thanks to Stewart for organising that.

    A perfect stocking filler Paul Auster’s Auggie Wren’s Christmas Story is a delight in every way. Between maroon linen hardback covers lies a story that hints cheekily at Dickens’ Christmas Carol with its themes of compassion, human integrity and fantasy. Yet it is unmistakably Auster in the way it takes its time in getting to the point and when it does still leaving the reader wondering how much of the story is real and how much of it is imagination. Auggie certainly knows how to drive a cunning bargain :)

    The wonderful images by the Argentinian illustrator ISOL which accompany the tale make this wee book an absolute pleasure to read and own.

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  2. Can only second all that Carola has said, thank you Faber and Stewart.

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  3. Hmmmm: - is it a gift horse in dinky little grey rabbit format updated to designer vanity publishing performance art?; what to do with it now - maybe frame it and hang it on the wall?;
    and i thought that i knew about fables ( animals, morals, myths and legends), but i dont think that this is one, despite the puff on the back cover - help appreciated !

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  4. I'm with Al on this one - a strange little story in an unexpected format with odd illustrations. I shall donate my copy to the Kirkwall Library.

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  5. thankyou martha, i feel a little less grumpy and ungrateful now!; and i've also managed to give mine away - perhaps it will now do the rounds of all the car boots?

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  6. I loved the look and feel of this book. It was the reason I read it. I haven't got on with Paul Auster's writing so far and, sadly, this book didn't make me want to rush out and buy more. This was my thought when I first read it. On reading it again, I recognised it as a story within a story within a story - and that got me hooked. Some books have to be read more than once to be appreciated and I think this was one.

    I don't know if I will read other books by this author, but I will be tempted to read this one again!

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  7. I really enjoyed this book - though the story was a little odd at times it was well supported by the format of the book - i thought it was beautiful with the covers and the pictures within - it would not have worked without them and I have already lent it to a couple of friends!

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  8. I loved this book :) very charming story

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  9. I came upon my copy of this book well after Christmas (thank you Kirkwall Library staff for keeping it aside for me!) but have been intrigued by it! I'm interested to see that it made Carola think of Dickens' Christmas novella as I hadn't made that connection - I shall think about that.... It felt to me more an Almodovar film - describing extraordinary but still-credible human actions in all their weirdness, with not quite warmth but an accepting tolerance rather than judgmentalism. I really enjoyed it, thought the illustrations added another element to the atmosphere and am intrigued enough to read it again. This is one I will lend to friends and re-read from time to time, definitely. Thank you Faber and Orkney library :) Mim

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