The latest book I have read ...

As I read the synopsis of this book I knew almost instantaneously I would have to buy it, though at the time I had no idea I would actually buy it and read it over night. I couldn't help thinking back to when I visited the Facteur Idéal's dream-like palace and my youngest daughter's own words when she so eagerly wanted to  become a postwoman for reasons that sounded rather "visionary" - participating in the go-around cycle of handing out written messages to addressees in a rather respectable way bearing in mind the importance of handwriting.


One of the main characters - the postman (in the original Franch version referred to as "facteur émotif")  by intercepting and secretly steaming open envelopes and reading the letters inside not only finds an escape from his rather gloomy and lonely routin-like life but is also caught in a relationship between a long-distance couple who use poetry as their way of communicating.


The story is brilliant and intricately weaved adding a touch of unexpected magic to what is beyond no doubt a book worth reading. 

"Captivating philosophical tale in which everything happens in slow motion, as in a dream. Endowed with a powerful imagination."

 

 

"This unassuming short novel has all of the best of short contemporary literary fiction: experimentation, freshness and wonder. (...) Centred on haiku and briefly the tanka (...) it reads like a poetic conversation, but also an ode to Japanese poetic form. (...) With notes on the poetry and a strong poetic presence throughout, the novel also does a praiseworthy job of making these poetic forms accessible and understandable to new readers. Nad like these pithy but provocative poems, Thériault's novel does a lot in a short place."

 

 

"Enchanting, philosophically astute and deeply poignant."