This is one of the most refreshing books I have read in a long time. I do not believe the catchy title and charming cover will let you down. I read these stories over a weekend . . . one story after another, one sweet after another. The last story is the title story and it is a true story as I understand it. “The Most Beautiful Book in the World” is the story of a group of women in a Soviet gulag who have been imprisoned for their political beliefs and now have one chance to get their thoughts and feelings sent out to the their husbands and children.
Upon finishing The Most Beautiful Book I immediately looked for more translated work of Schmitt’s. At the moment, his other works have not been translated. However, it seems that The Most Beautiful Book has been a very successful publication of Europa Editions. Perhaps Europa will see to it that others of Schmitt’s work will be translated soon! (Kelly wrote a great entry on translated works not long ago, citing such works as The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo . . . which spawned some interesting comments.)
Read below from the jacket:
One of Europe’s most popular and best-loved authors, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt captivates the reader with his spirited, buoyant 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 some of his best writing and most imaginative storylines: from the love story between Balthazar, wealthy and successful author, and Odette, cashier at a supermarket, to the tale of a barefooted princess; from the moving story of a group of female prisoners in a Soviet gulag to the entertaining portrait of a perennially disgruntled perfectionist. Here are eight contemporary fables, populated by a cast of extravagant and affecting characters, about people in search of happiness. Behind each story lies a simple, if elusive, truth: happiness is often right in front of our eyes, though we may frequently be blind to it.
Comments are closed.