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    Auggie Wren's Christmas Story
    Unavailable
    Auggie Wren's Christmas Story
    Unavailable
    Auggie Wren's Christmas Story
    Ebook32 pages13 minutes

    Auggie Wren's Christmas Story

    By Isol and Paul Auster

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A timeless, utterly charming Christmas fable, beautifully illustrated and destined to become a classic

    When Paul Auster was asked by The New York Times to write a Christmas story for the Op-Ed page, the result, "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story," led to Auster's collaboration on a film adaptation, Smoke. Now the story has found yet another life in this enchanting illustrated edition with Argentine artist Isol.

    It begins with a writer's dilemma: he's been asked by The New York Times to write a story that will appear in the paper on Christmas morning. The writer agrees, but he has a problem: How to write an unsentimental Christmas story? He unburdens himself to his friend at his local cigar shop, a colorful character named 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 ever heard. And I guarantee every word of it is true."

    And an unconventional story it is, involving a lost wallet, a blind woman, and a Christmas dinner. Everything gets turned upside down. What's stealing? What's giving? What's a lie? What's the truth? It's vintage Auster, and pure pleasure: a truly unsentimental but completely affecting tale.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMay 13, 2014
    ISBN9781466871007
    Unavailable
    Auggie Wren's Christmas Story
    Author

    Isol

    ISOL is a celebrated Argentinian illustrator whose work has been featured internationally. She lives in Buenos Aires.

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    Reviews for Auggie Wren's Christmas Story

    4/5

    104 ratings12 reviews

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    • 5/5
      An unsentimental Christmas story. I love this little book. It's different, a little odd, but kinda sweet in the end. I think it does a good job of summing up Auster's style of writing, so if you're curious about his work but not ready to commit, this is a good place to start. Nicely illustrated as well. This short story was later incorporated into Paul Auster's screenplay, Smoke.
    • 5/5
      This little gem is a favorite of mine that I reread every year. A very non-traditional Christmas story that's really all about giving. So short and yet so very complex, with shades of grey and a moral dilemma to warm the heart. Great illustrations, too.
    • 4/5
      This Christmas story is quite different from most. The narrator, an author, is commissioned to write a short story for a Christmas day newspaper edition. When he goes to purchase cigars, Auggie Wren unfolds a story. The story could probably generate discussion on ethical topics. I listened to the audio version read by the author available at NPR's web site.
    • 4/5
      This is a Christmas story with huge potential. However, it didn't get developed quite enough to be satisfying or edifying to me. It's either a graphic story with not enough graphics or a storybook with not enough text. In other words, it's too skimpy.That being said, this was a powerful reminder of the importance of taking time to really see and respond to what is around you. To assess the everyday and mundane in small timeframes. "You're going too fast. You'll never get it if you don't slow down." This I understand.As the tale unfolds you may wonder what is the point of the story? Seriously I had to read this book twice. Still I didn't get it until I read on the back cover these questions:"What's stealing? What's giving?What's a lie? What's the truth?" So now, I have to think a little differently about this:"As long as there's one person to believe it, there's no story that can't be true."
    • 4/5
      Odd little story,but interesting and enjoyable. A stolen wallet,camera and a blind woman. Nice for the holiday season.
    • 4/5
      This is a Christmas story with huge potential. However, it didn't get developed quite enough to be satisfying or edifying to me. It's either a graphic story with not enough graphics or a storybook with not enough text. In other words, it's too skimpy.That being said, this was a powerful reminder of the importance of taking time to really see and respond to what is around you. To assess the everyday and mundane in small timeframes. "You're going too fast. You'll never get it if you don't slow down." This I understand.As the tale unfolds you may wonder what is the point of the story? Seriously I had to read this book twice. Still I didn't get it until I read on the back cover these questions:"What's stealing? What's giving?What's a lie? What's the truth?" So now, I have to think a little differently about this:"As long as there's one person to believe it, there's no story that can't be true."
    • 4/5
      I found this beautiful little illustrated edition of Auster’s classic fable by chance & found it just as delightful on rereading. I don’t think there is much Auster that I haven’t read at all yet. Maybe he’ll realise some uncollected journalism/essays? Let’s hope so.
    • 5/5
      This little gem is a favorite of mine that I reread every year. A very non-traditional Christmas story that's really all about giving. So short and yet so very complex, with shades of grey and a moral dilemma to warm the heart. Great illustrations, too.
    • 4/5
      Short and sweet, a worthy read. It might even make a nice stocking stuffer at the holiday season. The author states he does not want an artifricially sweet story and he accomplished that. His short story of life in New York City was both realistic and uplifting.
    • 4/5
      An enjoyable few minutes of reading. A Christmas story that manages to be fun and Christmas-y without being sentimental in the slightest. Wonderful illustrations.
    • 3/5
      A book you can finish in one seating before the seat even turns warm. Pleasant read with illustrations. As expected, Christmas Story is a holiday themed plot but with a twist.
    • 5/5
      Auster was asked by the New York Times to write a Christmas short story for the Op-Ed page.He went on to write a story about a writer who is asked to write a short story for the New York Times to appear on Christmas morning. Stumped for what to write about, he receives some unexpected help from the tobacconist whose shop he frequents, a colourful character called Auggie Wren.Wren offers to tell the author the best Christmas story he has ever heard in exchange for lunch. And in the diner he weaves a tale ... which is unsentimental, has no santas or angels, or trees or snow, but even as it overturns all expectations and blurs moral lines, still touches the heart.This limited edition print version has funky illustrations by Isol throughout, and is a bit like a kids' book for grown-ups!The little story inspired Wayne Wang's 1995 film, Smoke, for which Auster wrote the screenplay and created one of my favourite movie characters . (Blue in the Face features the same cast of characters and was entirely improvised, and filmed on the back of Smoke in just five days.)And am much tickled reading the cast list, to discover that the book thief was played by Auster's twenty-year old son Daniel! As if it isn't bad enough that Auster keeps wandering inside the frame of his own stories, he wants his family in there too!