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 is the best-selling author of Invisible, Man in the Dark, The Brooklyn Follies, The Book of Illusions, The New York Trilogy, among many other works. In 2006 he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature and inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Among his other honours are the Independent Spirit Award for the screenplay of Smoke and the Prix Medicis Etranger for Leviathan. He has also been short-listed for both the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (The Book of Illusions) and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (The Music of Chance). His work has been translated into more than thirty languages. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
By "slpears"
Format: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.
By Diana
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Anything Paul Auster touches is golden. Great stories that are really poignant. Hope to one day have all of his own stories as well as what he has edited.
Format:Paperback
The book encompasses some 120 stories out of 4000 submissions to a National Story Project. The only criteria being it had to be true and short; Auster's book is surprisingly entertaining. Loved it !
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Personal and Compelling Stories
I liked this book so much that I bought extra copies to give friends. Short recollections of events, emotions, life lessons written by people who volunteered significant bits of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Morris
4.0 out of 5 stars
Like the picket fence shown on the cover . . .
. . This book offers brief slices of life, with glimpses between them into the larger "back yards" of everyday experience. Read more
Published on February 16, 2011 by Tam Mossman
5.0 out of 5 stars
loved this book
this book is a great traveling companion, and thanks also to NPR
Published on March 8, 2006 by Karen A. Kelleher
