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9th out of 19 books
—
57 voters
A Life on Paper: Stories
by
Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud,
Edward Gauvin (Goodreads Author)
The celebrated career of Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud is well known to readers of French literature. This comprehensive collection—the first to be translated into English—introduces a distinct and dynamic voice to the Anglophone world. In many ways, Châteaureynaud is France’s own Kurt Vonnegut, and his stories are as familiar as they are fantastic.
A Life on Paper present...more
A Life on Paper present...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
June 1st 2010
by Small Beer Press
(first published 2010)
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This first collection of twenty-two of Châteaureynaud’s short stories to appear in English is a very welcome addition to genre bookshelves. His stories may be bizarre and frequently disconcerting, but I’d still struggle to describe Châteaureynaud specifically as a genre writer, at least in the Anglo-Saxon sense of how we define that word: he specifically avoids invoking horror and fear in the reader, instead choosing a far more understated approach to getting across the essence of his surreal my...more
F got me this book for my birthday, since the last writer in translation he got me, Angelica Gorodischer, was such a big hit. This book wasn't such a hit for me, unfortunately. Chateaureynaud's work is really beautiful: the stories are short and quick to read, the language is lyrical and lovely, the fantastic events that happen are truly creative. Chateaureynaud makes things happen in his stories that I haven't seen before. The problem, for me, was how sad all the stories are. The author bio at...more
He lived alone. Lonely people write. I myself began a novel after every break-up, only to abandon it joyously each time I found a new companion. The human heart is a case filled with humors and tears. One good blow, out splash its contents. Neglect it, and it rots; parasites proliferate, spin out their filaments, mount an assault on the walls, scale them, and spread...
Georges-Olivier Chateaureynaud, a french writer, could be mistaken for Vonnegut's doppelganger. No, it's not Vonnegut on the cov...more
Refined short stories / weird tales reminiscent of Kafka, Chambers, or M. R. James with a tendency to drift into allegory or end too abruptly. The best are "A Life on Paper," "A Citizen Speaks," "La Tête," "The Guardicci Masterpiece," "The Bronze Schoolboy," and "Another Story."
Fantastic, in every sense of the word! Many of the stories reminded me of Calvino or Borges, but less... cuddly. A vaguely nightmarish quality lines Chateaureynaud's dreamscapes, though they never veer into outright horror. He draws on some familiar myths and fairy tales, but the most satisfying stories seem to have no precedent.
My only complaint about this book is the awful cover, featuring an unflattering photo of the scowling author looking like Vonnegut's evil twin.
My only complaint about this book is the awful cover, featuring an unflattering photo of the scowling author looking like Vonnegut's evil twin.
Jun 13, 2010
Shauna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all fantasy fans and people who like short stories
The little gems in this book should be read slowly, one or two at a time, and savored like fine chocolates.
Some are short stories; others are more vignettes in a life. Some are full-out fantasy or science fiction; others are mainstream with just a hint of the uncanny. All are lusciously written and moody.
Kudos to Edward Gauvin for his excellent and beautiful translations.
Some are short stories; others are more vignettes in a life. Some are full-out fantasy or science fiction; others are mainstream with just a hint of the uncanny. All are lusciously written and moody.
Kudos to Edward Gauvin for his excellent and beautiful translations.
Fantastic and fantastical collection of short stories. More Borges than Vonnegut, less science more fantasy, less humor more abstraction. Hauntingly familiar at times. Gauvin chooses wisely again and again, exerting remarkable control especially over the pacing. Excited to revisit these in class this summer!
This was an interesting collection of stories. I'm kind of surprised that this is the first English translation for this author. Chateaureynaud captures a style of writing that feels much older than other contemporary writers. I would put most of the stories in the horror or mystery type genres, but the horror is old-school (more Poe than King). Technically I would give this 3.5 stars. I would read other stories/novels by this author.
I love this author's vivid imagination! For those with an appetite for surreal/irreal allegorical stories with a European flavor. Not for literal-minded readers. One thing I'm not sure of is the translation, which seems awkward at times: could be more refined, perhaps.
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A really enjoyable collection of short stories. There are a lot of... twists, for lack of a better word.
Too surreal for me.
Perfectly charming.
Mar 10, 2013
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