Customer Reviews

Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran & Oscar and the Lady in Pink

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yesterday - a day filled with joy and with disappointment - my last act before returning home was to stop in at a snug bookstore where I knew I would be welcomed and my soul would find comfort. I came to buy "The Secret Life of Bees," but when I went to purchase it, the owner (a muse of music and literature) offered me the book containing Schmidts two small novellas and said "just read them and call me when you've finished them - or just bring the book back." She will not be getting her book back. I spent the whole of last evening, sans TV, sans music, digesting the beautiful, simple stories. "Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran" seemed at first a simple uninterrupted line, but gradually the small pathways took me on a journey that brought tears, shouts of laughter, and more than the occasional re-read of a sentence or paragraph. "Oscar and the Lady in Pink" again pulled me in with its simplicity. Too easy a tale, I thought. But while the tale was simple, the getting there was not. The use of a particular word, a gesture, an inward thought of the young dying narrator made this a journey of insight and deep understanding. I turned off the light, held the book to my chest, and let tears flow and thoughts roam for well over an hour. I literally didn't want to put the book down. It stayed next to me during the night. My day was touched by grace and generosity, from the bookseller and from the author. Read the book. Hold it close to you. And give a copy to someone you love.

The dynamics of bestsellers is something I will never
really understand. I believe this pair of stories has
all the required qualities: they are an easy read, and
yet there is a lot more to them than meets the eye.
They both have an immediate impact, but also stay with
you for a while. I will definitely be looking for more
by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt.

I can't imagine anyone not being moved by these short, thoughtful, enjoyable works. Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt is a superb storyteller.

A journey by car is the epilogue of this book, a journey that ends a man's life and starts that of a boy, making him a man. A journey that binds Europe to the near East, Islam and Judaism and Christianity. From the modern city of Paris that belongs to our collective imagination to traditional Turkey, we see cultures coexist and conflict.

A gripping story, and a strong moral: human relationships, when based on respect and love, are priceless, they are worth more than cultural and even family ties.

He is such an amazing writer. These two stories are so beautiful. What a treasure. A heartfelt book, filled with love and little lessons on life. Makes a great gift.

Oscar and the Lady in Pink is a story of a boy that is preparing to die. It is very well written - simple and beautiful. The story is sad but at the same time amusing, makes one to stop and think about the life.

My son needed this for school & I couldn't find it locally. Got it in time & price was ok too.