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The Most Beautiful Book in the World: Eight Novellas
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this ebook
The international bestselling story collection. “Truth and beauty are here brought together with all the visual beauty and power of a major literary work” (Lire Magazine, France).
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.
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.
Author
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).
Read more from Eric Emmanuel Schmitt
Three Women in a Mirror Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Invisible Love Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Concerto to the Memory of an Angel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Woman with the Bouquet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for The Most Beautiful Book in the World
Rating: 4.142857142857143 out of 5 stars
4/5
14 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eight 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.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I 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.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Quick, 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!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eight 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.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 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.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 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.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My favorite story in this collection was The Intruder, I did not figure it out until the end!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I wasn’t a fan of short stories, but Eric Emmanuel Schmitt made me appreciate them, there is something very special, melancholic and yet full of hope in his works.
Book preview
The Most Beautiful Book in the World - Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
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