The Most Beautiful Book in the World: 8 Novellas

By Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

A cast of extravagant and affecting characters lovingly portrayed by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt animates these eight contemporary fables about people in search of happiness.

One of Europe's most popular and bestselling authors, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt captivates the reader with his spirited style and enchanting stories that move effortlessly from the everyday to the fantastical. The eight stories in this collection, his first to be published in English, represent his best and most imaginative storylines: from the touching and surprising love story between Balthazar, a wealthy author, and Odette, a shop clerk, to the tale of a barefooted princess; from the moving title story about a group of female prisoners in a Soviet gulag to the entertaining portrait of a perennially disgruntled perfectionist. Behind each story lies a simple, if elusive, truth: though we may be frequently blind to it, happiness is often right in front of our eyes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Jul 7, 2009
• ISBN: 9781609459949

Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

Eric Emmanuel Schmitt's bestselling novels and plays have been translated into more than twenty languages and produced in thirty-five countries. Oscar and the Lady in Pink was published by Atlantic Books in 2005 and the stage adaptation, starring Rosemary Harris, ran in the West End and was directed by Associate RSC director John Caird (Les Misérables).

Reviews for The Most Beautiful Book in the World

[marycfd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Quick, superb book of small gems, almost archetypal, most about male/female relationships, lost or found love. Most are set in France though also in other European locations. Wonderful!

[thorold_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A collection of short stories, all with female protagonists. Schmitt tells us they were written ("illegally") in intervals of dead time during the making of his film Odette Toulemonde. The story of the same name in this book is a different working out of the idea of the film, where a Famous Writer turns up, in search of the secret of happiness, on the Charleroi doorstep of the working class widow Odette who has written him a fan-letter. (Think "Belgian Willy Russell"...)"Le plus beau livre du monde" (title story of the English version of this collection) is apparently a true story, told to Schmitt during a visit to Russia, and describes how a group of women prisoners in Siberia got the chance to smuggle out a collective letter to their children, and had to decide how how to use those few lines most effectively. Otherwise, it's fairly standard short-story territory: A wealthy serial divorcée meets the man she manipulated into initiating her sexually, decades ago; a happily married woman changes her hairstyle and discovers that a lot of the past needs to be rewritten; a woman who has trouble accepting the imperfection of the world around her finds a way to happiness through talking about the weather; a bad actor finds out the truth about the happy night he shared with a beautiful woman many years before; we see the frightening reality of dementia from the inside. It's all treated very smoothly and sympathetically, there are plenty of little jokes and nice bits of observation, and the characters are agreeable people to spend time with. But the stories move towards the obligatory twist in a slightly too orderly fashion, almost as though they are being prepared as examples for a writing workshop, and someone should have told Schmitt that you can't get away with so many sudden heart attacks in one book. (If you are ever cast as a character in a Schmitt story, consult your cardiologist before agreeing!)

[mrosol_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love the cover and a nice quality of the Europe Editions publication. The stories, on the other hand, are readable but conventional, somewhat syrupy and clearly written from a man's perspective (the women in the novellas are either mothers, wives or lovers). Two and a half stars.

[tloeffler_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Eight of the most wonderful stories I have read in a long time. Each a little different, but all concluding on a lovely, sometimes poignant note. I felt just like the woman on the cover as I read: up in the air, oblivious to everything except my reading.

[chrystal_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favorite story in this collection was The Intruder, I did not figure it out until the end!

[odrach_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The eight stories in this collection, written in simple prose, are about women - women dealing with heartbreak, love affairs, death, dementia.Optimistic, profound, and a bit quirky, these stories are mostly from the perspective of women, but written by a man. Schmitt is a masterful storyteller.

[labfs39 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The eight novellas that comprise this book are short, with expertly drawn main characters that find happiness, or just miss out on finding happiness, in the most unlikeliest of places. Although the titles and the premise sound cheerful, I did not find the book so. It was quite depressing to read about people who learn what happiness is only to loose it, never achieve it, or be unable to enjoy it. So although the book is very well-written, I only gave it 3 1/2 stars due to my own emotional reaction to it.

[cameling_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eight short stories, each dealing with men and women in search of happiness. Eight interesting and different stories. Eight stories, that, although dealing with the concept of happiness, don't all have happy endings, but all end in the only way that's appropriate for their particular story.A wealthy woman who, having reinvented herself, comes across an old friend from the past.An author, receiving a hostile review of his latest book, receives a fan's letter.A woman who is discontented with life, marries a man who sees nothing but joy in life, and upon his death discovers an excitement in the preparation for an activity.An aging actor returns to a town where he had a mesmerizing evening with a mystery woman, seeking to find her.A group of female prisoners in the Gulag find a way to leave some interesting messages for their children.A man leaves his mistress, and in dire straits, she gives away the last gift he gave her.A woman calls the police because of a persistent intruder.A woman gets a new haircut which her husband finds attractive, and discovers a hidden secret.Delightful, thoughtful and provoking.