Μια υπέροχη σύντομη ιστορία μακριά απο το παραδοσιακό χριστουγεννιάτικο πνεύμα, μια ιστορία για το πως να διηγείσαι μια ιστορία. Κι αν την πιστεύεις τότε είναι αληθινή.

Αν θέλετε να σας την σιγοψυθυρίσει και εσάς στο αυτί ο Auster( με την βραχνή και αισθησιακή φωνή του) πατήστε εδώ

I just don't like Paul Austers books.
I don't even know why.

მადლობა პოლ ოსტერს წლის მყუდრო დასაწყისისთვის

Uma história de natal diferente! Li o conto enquanto ouvi o "audiobook", há um áudio disponível do autor a ler o seu próprio conto. Como é narrado em primeira pessoa, neste modo duplo, ler e ouvir, o leitor tem direito a uma experiência mais completa.

Mañana y mañana y mañana ―susurró―. El tiempo se desliza con paso mezquino.
Entonces entendí que él sabía perfectamente lo que estaba haciendo.

Quería leer algo navideño en el día de Navidad y quizá he leído la historia navideña menos navideña que he leído nunca. Pero me ha gustado.

Paul Auster nunca defrauda y en esta ocasión consigue mucho (ser muy original) con muy poco (el relato es muy breve).

I went to the library today to watch a VHS tape of my work for a class. But when I got there, they told me that they don't let people watch their own VHS tapes, only tapes from the library. I asked why and they told me that if people could just bring in their own tapes and watch them they would never stop. Yup. Good thing the librarians are keeping a handle on things because we wouldn't want crazy people like me camping out in the library with their homework. Guess I'm supposed to go buy a TV and VCR.

Anyway, no big deal about the tape, I'll find somewhere else to watch it and I had an application I wanted to fax. No fax machine at the library though. I though copiers and fax machines would be par for the course, but not so much. So I decided to get one of the books off my to-read list. But it was checked out. Oh..... Didn't want the whole trip to be a waste so I went downstairs to the fiction section and decided to wander around until I found a book.

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I have never heard anything about its spine. And that is exactly what I did. I knew I didn't want anything too long (heavy to take on Muni) so when I saw this tiny red spine with perky black capital letters, I was intrigued.Turns out the book is illustrated which seemed like a sign since the book I had initially wanted was also illustrated.

I really didn't like the illustrations as part Auggie Wren. The art itself (by Isol who I cna only imagine must be a well known artist to go by only one name) has a strong graphic quality and pallet that reminds me of the art in The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Stories. But the pictures, especially of the people, seem inspired by the words rather than lifelike. I found myself trying very hard not to look at them until after I finished each page. They were jarring to the very end of the story.

But the writing itself was lovely. I really felt as though someone was speaking to me the entire time. The sentences are spare but evocative and the subject is entertaining. Something about the writing reminded me of Capote's stories. Anyway, this is a wonderful book that I read rather quickly and I think deserves a more leisurely read because I think I would get new layers out of it. At 36 pages (half of which are illustrations) it's a perfect read for those of you with busy lives. Let me know what you think of it.

Sempre ve de gust llegir textos de Paul Auster, que t'endinsen en aquella quotidianitat de Brooklyn. No és un text nadalenc ensucrat, però sí una bona història, lleugera i molt curta, que convida a la generositat i a la solidaritat, ideal per a una tarda-vespre de Nadal.

2019: I just love this little book.

2016: A different kind of holiday story: a little bit odd, a little bit funny, only a tiny bit sentimental, and largely real life. Auster used this story to write a screenplay, adding characters and subplots, which became the movie Smoke. Worth reading. Worth watching.

I know i am reading this book out of season but i am trying to #beatthebacklog and this book is an easy read at only 41 pages.. it was a quirky looking book that took my eye at the charity shop and i am so glad i went with my instinct and bought it.

Paul is asked to write a story for the New York times for Christmas and he mentions it in conversation with Auggie and Auggie promises to tell him 'the best Christmas story you will ever hear and ever word of it is true'....

Auggie works in Pauls local cigar shop and is a budding photographer who stands at the same place every morning to take a picture of his surroundings who finding out Paul is a journalist asks him to critic his photographs and really is doing what he can to survive.

Auggie tells a small tale about theft, mistaken identity and a good deeds.. it is a sweet tale and i loved it..

Its the perfect anti Christmas book.. and the pictures used to illustrate are really lovely, there is nothing sentimental just a collection of images that give the impression of what it should be.. it is really lovely.

#beatthebacklog #charityshopfind #USA #contemporary #christmas

Leer a Paul Auster es disfrutar de una narrativa sobria, elocuaz, precisa y concisa. Aquí nos cuenta un cuento sobre la amistad, la confianza, afianzar vínculos, empatía y ayuda incondicional, temas que nos preparan una atmósfera propia de estas fechas.

Me encantó.

Dopo avermi portato in una piccola stanzetta senza finestre
nel retro del negozio, Auggie ha aperto uno scatolone
e ha tirato fuori dodici album identici di fotografie.
Poi mi ha spiegato che quello era il lavoro
di una vita. Non gli prendeva
piu' di cinque minuti al giorno:
ogni santo giorno degli ultimi dodici
anni Auggie s'era messo all'angolo
fra Atlantic Avenue e Clinton Street
alle sette in punto del mattino
e aveva scattato una foto a colori
della stessa scena. (8)

Poi, quasi mi avesse
letto i pensieri, mi ha recitato un verso di Shakespeare.
- Domani e domani e domani - ha mormorato sottovoce
- il tempo scorre a piccoli passi. (12)

ეს მოთხრობა ძალიან, ძალიან მიყვარს და ის იშვიათი გამონაკლისია, რომელიც რამდენჯერმე მაქვს წაკითხული. ჩემს თავს დავპირდი, რომ ყოველ ახალ წელს წავიკითხავ ამ მოთხრობას და ყოველ შობას ვნახავ "It's a wonderful life"-ს. ეს ორი ნაწარმოები ძალიან ჰგავს ერთმანეთს, რადგან წამყვანი თემა ორივეში იმედი და სიკეთეა, ამ ორი დღესასწაულის ჯადოსნურობაც ხომ მეტწილად ამაშია.