Wednesday, December 09, 2009

AUGGIE WREN’S CHRISTMAS STORY
Paul Auster with Illustrations by Isol
Faber & Faber $29.99

An illustrated Christmas gift book edition of a classic short Paul Auster tale.

This charming Christmas fable begins with a dilemma: A writer has been asked by The New York Times to write 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 his local cigar shop, a colourful character called Auggie Wren.
‘A Christmas story? Is that all ?’ Auggie counters. ‘If you buy me lunch, my friend, I’ll tell you 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 and the lines between truth and story telling become brilliantly blurred. A truly enchanting, timeless tale that is destined to become a classic.
This story first appeared in the New York Times. and later became the basis for the film, SMOKE.
Gorgeous, the perfect stocking stuffer.

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