Chosen by Paul Auster out of 4000 stories submitted to his radio programme on National Public Radio, these 180 stories provide an illuminating portrait of America in the 20th century. The selection requirement of the stories was that they should be true and not previously published.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
'It is difficult to think of another book published this year, and probably any book to be published next year, that is so simple and so obvious, so excellent in intention and so elegant in its execution, and which displays such wisdom and such knowledge of human life in all its varieties.' Ian Sansom, Guardian; 'Fantastic... Glows with the truth of shared human experience.' The Face; 'Astonishing... This is writing at its very finest.' Independent
About the Author
Paul Auster was born in New Jersey in 1947. After attending Columbia University he lived in France for four years. Since 1974 he has published poems, essays, novels, screenplays and translations. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truth is Better than Fiction,
By "slpears" (Atlanta, GA, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: True Tales of American Life (Paperback)
I picked up this book in London, looking for something to read on a square for a sunny afternoon. It turned out to be one of the most poignant reads of this year. Auster is a brilliant author, but he really shines as editer of this collection. He arranges the book into chapters by subjects like "Objects", "Animals", "War", "Death", and "Love". At first, I was skeptical, as the "Animals" stories were a bit silly. He soon draws you into the styles of everyday Americans, and by the 50th page you're reading some of the most piercing truths that you could ever imagine. Not only are the stories facsinating and unique, but they resonate with the themes of universality. I laughed and cried my way through this book---and by the time it ended, I was rationing myself on only one story per day, because I wanted them to last forever. I read them aloud to my boyfriend in bed, and to my friends on the phone, the way that you would read a story to a child at night. Great read for all ages and walks of life.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Like the picket fence shown on the cover . . .,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: True Tales of American Life (Paperback)
. . This book offers brief slices of life, with glimpses between them into the larger "back yards" of everyday experience.
For any screenwriter looking for character insights, background color, or just the you-can't-make-it-up quirkiness of real life, this book is worth devouring. Great short reads make this book rewarding to pick up and put down. I'd give it five stars, but for two reasons: 1) Every story begins on a new page, often leaving TONS of white space after it ends, often at the top of a page. Closing up would have meant a shorter, handier book and saved oodles of trees. 2) Auster states that these stories offer "some elegant and sophisticated writing ... also much that is crude and awkward." But he has quietly pared away the crude and the awkward, adding canny turns of phrase and making single words dynamic in a way that only a practiced wordsmith can do.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic stories,
By
This review is from: True Tales of American Life (Paperback)
Enlightening and heartfelt read. Couldn't put it down.
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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wash guilt Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Aunt Myrtle, Marcia Lynn, New Jersey, World War, Anna May, North Carolina, New Mexico, Miss Thomas, Brooklyn Roberts, Uncle Louie, Leo Gold, Uncle Morris, Era Rose, Los Angeles, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Miss Burgoyne, West Coast, Land of the Lost, Market Street, Prospect Street, John Milburn, Racing Gazette, United States Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
wash guilt Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Aunt Myrtle, Marcia Lynn, New Jersey, World War, Anna May, North Carolina, New Mexico, Miss Thomas, Brooklyn Roberts, Uncle Louie, Leo Gold, Uncle Morris, Era Rose, Los Angeles, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Miss Burgoyne, West Coast, Land of the Lost, Market Street, Prospect Street, John Milburn, Racing Gazette, United States Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
2
books
cite this book:
- Working in the Reggio Way: A Beginner's Guide for American Teachers by Julianne P. Wurm in Front Matter
- In Sierra Leone by Michael Jackson on page 49
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