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The Postman's Fiancée
The much-anticipated follow-up to the Radio 2 Book Club-favourite The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman
Twenty-two-year-old Tania has moved to Montreal to study, fine-tune her French and fall in love. Finding work as a waitress in an unpretentious down-town restaurant, she meets Bilodo, a shy postman who spends his days perfecting his calligraphy and writing haiku. The two hit it off. But then one stormy day their lives take a dramatic turn, and as their destinies become entwined Tania and Bilodo are led into a world where nothing is as it seems.
A charming standalone work that reunites readers with the touching and much-loved characters first found in The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman , The Postman’s Fiancée is an enchanting, poignant and bittersweet love story that will move readers, young and old alike.
Twenty-two-year-old Tania has moved to Montreal to study, fine-tune her French and fall in love. Finding work as a waitress in an unpretentious down-town restaurant, she meets Bilodo, a shy postman who spends his days perfecting his calligraphy and writing haiku. The two hit it off. But then one stormy day their lives take a dramatic turn, and as their destinies become entwined Tania and Bilodo are led into a world where nothing is as it seems.
A charming standalone work that reunites readers with the touching and much-loved characters first found in The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman , The Postman’s Fiancée is an enchanting, poignant and bittersweet love story that will move readers, young and old alike.
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2016
19 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Denis Thériault
8 books96 followersDenis Thériault, romancier et scénariste, est diplômé en psychologie. Il a été quatre fois finaliste aux prix Gémeaux. Son premier roman, L’iguane (XYZ, 2001), a remporté le prix France-Québec 2001, le prix Anne-Hébert 2002, l’Odyssée 2002 et le Combat des livres 2007 de Radio-Canada. Son deuxième roman, Le facteur émotif (XYZ, 2005), a remporté le Prix littéraire Canada-Japon 2006. Ses romans sont publiés au Canada anglais, en Allemagne, en Chine et en France.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
August 20, 2023
The Postman’s Fiancée begins with the outlook on the previous events from the different vantage point… Tania – a waitress from the restaurant – is frantically and unrequitedly in love with the postman and now we see the past happenings through her eye… She visits him just at the most crucial moment of his hectic epistolary romance…
And in the same day of doom she becomes an inadvertent witness of the disaster… She manages to save his life… She helps to nurse him… She starts her private investigation… When at last her beloved postman comes to he is amnesiac so she tells him that she is his fiancée… But everything is uncertain… All is in suspense…
One night she sees a nightmare…
“The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.” Ecclesiastes 1:6
The door opened and Bilodo appeared. When she saw the way he looked, Tania froze. He hadn’t shaved for months, and it had no doubt been just as long since a comb last touched the shaggy mane that fell to his shoulders. Bilodo had the complexion of a person buried alive, and dark circles surrounded his eyes. He was wearing a sort of red kimono. Tania felt as though she were standing before a stranger. The fresh, clean-shaven young postman, as straight as an arrow – where had he gone? How could he have transformed himself into this cave-dwelling hippie?
And in the same day of doom she becomes an inadvertent witness of the disaster… She manages to save his life… She helps to nurse him… She starts her private investigation… When at last her beloved postman comes to he is amnesiac so she tells him that she is his fiancée… But everything is uncertain… All is in suspense…
One night she sees a nightmare…
With a red carnation stuck in his buttonhole, Gaston Grandpré was lying on the flooded asphalt. It was just after the accident, in the steady downpour. The dying Grandpré fixed his eyes on Tania’s and spoke in an evanescent voice: ‘Swirling like water… against rugged rocks… time goes around and around…’
“The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.” Ecclesiastes 1:6
April 21, 2018
A week ago, I became acquainted with Bilodo, a Montreal postman, who learned to write haikus principally to charm a woman from Gaudeloupe (Ségolène) with whom he had fallen in love. In The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman, Denis Thériault created a shy, tender-hearted, but pitiable character who lived in an illusory world of words that sustained an imaginary romance. His plight seemed sadder than warranted as there was a young waitress, Tania, who loved him and hoped he would pay her some attention. At the end of that story, Bilodo was hit by a truck. And I had hoped that Bilodo would meet the love of his life. I wanted so much for him to be happy.
The Postman’s Fiancée drew me magnetically back to rue des Hetres in the Saint-Janvier-des-Ames district of Montreal. Here perhaps was a second chance for Bilodo to live life more fully in the present. The narrative was focused on Tania Schumpf who had also picked up haiku writing skills in order to impress and engage Bilodo who seemed preoccupied and troubled. Bilodo’s lack of interest discouraged Tania who suffered quietly. But she was a spunky girl and willing to risk rejection. Her cure for sadness was ‘a fatal dose of pistachio ice cream.’ You gotta love a girl like that. On the fateful day when Bilodo met the accident, Tania was on her way to bare her heart to Bilodo.
As in the preceding novella, Thériault explored the duplicity and deception that can slip dangerously into the human quest for love. ‘Did love really excuse everything?’
The haiku once again played a critical and magical role in drawing couples together. Yet, one of the thoughts that hit home was what Ségolène said about her haiku exchange with Bilodo, ‘They were just words. Just poetry.’ For a person who lives in words, this is a staggering realization of how limited and paltry words can be. Unless substantiated by acts of love, words signify nothing at all.
There was an intended circularity, as reflected in the Zen concept of enso, in how Thériault structured this story. The ending was as unsettling as before but came as less of a surprise than in the preceding novella.
The Postman’s Fiancée is a unique story that engages the heart. It can be read as a standalone but one’s appreciation is likely to be richer with a prior knowledge of Bilodo’s peculiar life. Good read.
The Postman’s Fiancée drew me magnetically back to rue des Hetres in the Saint-Janvier-des-Ames district of Montreal. Here perhaps was a second chance for Bilodo to live life more fully in the present. The narrative was focused on Tania Schumpf who had also picked up haiku writing skills in order to impress and engage Bilodo who seemed preoccupied and troubled. Bilodo’s lack of interest discouraged Tania who suffered quietly. But she was a spunky girl and willing to risk rejection. Her cure for sadness was ‘a fatal dose of pistachio ice cream.’ You gotta love a girl like that. On the fateful day when Bilodo met the accident, Tania was on her way to bare her heart to Bilodo.
As in the preceding novella, Thériault explored the duplicity and deception that can slip dangerously into the human quest for love. ‘Did love really excuse everything?’
The haiku once again played a critical and magical role in drawing couples together. Yet, one of the thoughts that hit home was what Ségolène said about her haiku exchange with Bilodo, ‘They were just words. Just poetry.’ For a person who lives in words, this is a staggering realization of how limited and paltry words can be. Unless substantiated by acts of love, words signify nothing at all.
There was an intended circularity, as reflected in the Zen concept of enso, in how Thériault structured this story. The ending was as unsettling as before but came as less of a surprise than in the preceding novella.
The Postman’s Fiancée is a unique story that engages the heart. It can be read as a standalone but one’s appreciation is likely to be richer with a prior knowledge of Bilodo’s peculiar life. Good read.
June 20, 2018
A fun quick read with a poignant end. Took me back to the haiku, the writing of the first book, then started the cycle once again or not. I honestly can't say.
I'd like to believe that we are important but deep down I know that we are just specks in the universe, along for the ride, a fleeting ride at that.
I'd like to believe that we are important but deep down I know that we are just specks in the universe, along for the ride, a fleeting ride at that.
May 23, 2017
Tania, who works as a waitress, has fallen in love with one of her customers, the shy postman, Bilodo. She knows of his fascination with haikus so she tries to learn how to write them herself to attract his attention. However, fate has different plans for these two and leads them on an unexpected path.
This second book in the series is as magical as the first book, “The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman”. This is the type of book where I hesitate to tell too much of the plot and would rather leave it to the author to tell it in his own unique way. While this book could be read as a standalone, I do think it would be best to read the first book before reading this sequel as parts of the books overlap. Like the first book, this one is a quick read. As in the first book, I very much enjoyed the many lovely haikus included throughout the book. I found both of these novellas to be completely charming, quirky and engrossing and I loved them both. I’m delighted to learn that the author’s debut novel, “The Boy Who Belonged to the Sea”, will be translated from French and released in the US in February of 2018.
Highly recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
This second book in the series is as magical as the first book, “The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman”. This is the type of book where I hesitate to tell too much of the plot and would rather leave it to the author to tell it in his own unique way. While this book could be read as a standalone, I do think it would be best to read the first book before reading this sequel as parts of the books overlap. Like the first book, this one is a quick read. As in the first book, I very much enjoyed the many lovely haikus included throughout the book. I found both of these novellas to be completely charming, quirky and engrossing and I loved them both. I’m delighted to learn that the author’s debut novel, “The Boy Who Belonged to the Sea”, will be translated from French and released in the US in February of 2018.
Highly recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
December 21, 2018
Original, moving, and bittersweet!
The Postman’s Fiancée takes us back to Montréal and into the lives of Bilodo, the lonely postman, and Tania, the besotted waitress, as they both learn just how all-consuming obsession, desire, and love can actually be.
The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are tormented, eccentric, and spontaneous. And the plot is a poetic, humorous, at times haunting tale about love, loss, friendship, destiny, coincidence, passion, and the cyclical nature of life.
Overall, The Postman’s Fiancée is another beautifully written, tempestuous, zany novel by Thériault that does a wonderful job of reminding us just how precious and fragile life truly is.
Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Postman’s Fiancée takes us back to Montréal and into the lives of Bilodo, the lonely postman, and Tania, the besotted waitress, as they both learn just how all-consuming obsession, desire, and love can actually be.
The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are tormented, eccentric, and spontaneous. And the plot is a poetic, humorous, at times haunting tale about love, loss, friendship, destiny, coincidence, passion, and the cyclical nature of life.
Overall, The Postman’s Fiancée is another beautifully written, tempestuous, zany novel by Thériault that does a wonderful job of reminding us just how precious and fragile life truly is.
Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2018
Toen ik De eenzame postbode uit had, had ik geen idee hoe ik deze titel in het plot van dat boek kon plaatsen. Goed nieuws dus: het is geen spoiler.
Dat is dan ook het enige positieve dat ik over dit boek kan zeggen - oh en dat het lekker snel uit was omdat het dun is. Verder is het echt helemaal niks - vond ik in ieder geval.
Voor mij raakt het plot kant nog wal. En het allerergste: het doet voor mij zelfs afbreuk aan het mooie plot van het vorige boek.
Meestal als ik een boek wil onlezen is omdat ik het nog een keer voor het eerst wil lezen. Dit is voor het eerst dat ik echt wilde dat ik het niet gelezen had en dat ik op zichzelf van De eenzame postbode kon nagenieten zonder dit in mijn hoofd te hebben.
Dat is dan ook het enige positieve dat ik over dit boek kan zeggen - oh en dat het lekker snel uit was omdat het dun is. Verder is het echt helemaal niks - vond ik in ieder geval.
Voor mij raakt het plot kant nog wal. En het allerergste: het doet voor mij zelfs afbreuk aan het mooie plot van het vorige boek.
Meestal als ik een boek wil onlezen is omdat ik het nog een keer voor het eerst wil lezen. Dit is voor het eerst dat ik echt wilde dat ik het niet gelezen had en dat ik op zichzelf van De eenzame postbode kon nagenieten zonder dit in mijn hoofd te hebben.
July 7, 2022
Three stars only for the writing. The story was pretty run of the mill with very obvious flow.
November 7, 2024
Four stars for sweetness in dark times. This was a worthy sequel. Just a joy to read.
January 3, 2025
What am I doing reading this nugu book, right?
For context, I bought this book at the Big Bad Wolf sale with Kat, Berz, and Jaike. Looking back, I am such a fucking dumbass because I could have chosen to buy a classic or EVEN A GRAPHIC NOVEL. BUT NO! I chose this book because of its affordability, interesting concept, AND CUTE COVER. THE COVER EATS!!! IT'S GIVING COSMO AND WANDA WICKED UuuWOOoooOOAAaaAAAhhHH!!!
The content of the book itself, however, is NOT CUTE. I fr learned my lesson not to judge a book by its cover. It's not my fault that this book has high marketability!!! I mean, a romance blossoming from the exchange of haikus? "Awww, that sounds so sweet." WRONG. BRO, TALIA LITERALLY MANIPULATES BILODO INTO DOING HER BIDDING AND REWRITES HIS LIFE'S STORY TO HER LIKING WHEN HE LOSES HIS MEMORY. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT THAT'S TRUE LOVE??? Also, WHAT WAS THAT RANDOM MAGICAL BULLSHIT WHERE GRANPRE'S HAIKUS PREDICTED THE FUTURE??? I WAS IJBOLING SO HARD BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK WHERE DID THAT COME FROM??? WHY IS THERE METAPHYSICAL MAGIC IN THIS STORY@#$%^&* I don't care if the author wanted this to evoke a fairy tale feeling BECAUSE THE BOOK WAS MAINLY CONTEMPORARY UNTIL THE FINAL FEW PAGES SO THE WHIPLASH WAS ??? If the author wanted to evoke a magical feeling then the power of poetry as an artform should have been leveraged instead ??? What a wasted opportunity!!! I was so disappointed that haikus were mostly used as a gimmick instead of a means to explore the characters' thoughts and relationships and develop the romance further. BUT NO!!! This book just throws its underdeveloped characters into the most nonsensical dramatic asf situations and expects us to root for them. The only interesting character in this story is BILODO (which makes sense because the original book is from Bilodo's perspective.) TALIA'S ONLY PERSONALITY IS LIKING BILODO. I'M SORRY. IF YOU WANT TO WRITE A GOOD ROMANCE. BOTH CHARACTERS HAVE TO BE INTERESTING ENOUGH FOR ME TO ROOT FOR THEM!!!
Is this a good romance? No. However, my goal with this book was to learn how to express myself better and I think it did help me to accomplish that. The writing is so playful but to a point where I was just laughing at how unnecessarily flowery it is. LIKE GIRL. YOU DID NOT NEED TO BE DOING ALL THAT WAHAHAHAHA. It was doing the literary equivalent of cartwheels, backflips, and death drops WAHAHAHA.
If you're coming into this book expecting a heartwarming romance, I'D RATHER HAVE YOU WATCH A K-DRAMA INSTEAD. I recommend LOVELY RUNNER!!! Lovely runner sets out what this book aimed to accomplish AND DOES IT X1,000,000 TIMES BETTER!!! Don't waste your time with this book jfc.
For context, I bought this book at the Big Bad Wolf sale with Kat, Berz, and Jaike. Looking back, I am such a fucking dumbass because I could have chosen to buy a classic or EVEN A GRAPHIC NOVEL. BUT NO! I chose this book because of its affordability, interesting concept, AND CUTE COVER. THE COVER EATS!!! IT'S GIVING COSMO AND WANDA WICKED UuuWOOoooOOAAaaAAAhhHH!!!
The content of the book itself, however, is NOT CUTE. I fr learned my lesson not to judge a book by its cover. It's not my fault that this book has high marketability!!! I mean, a romance blossoming from the exchange of haikus? "Awww, that sounds so sweet." WRONG. BRO, TALIA LITERALLY MANIPULATES BILODO INTO DOING HER BIDDING AND REWRITES HIS LIFE'S STORY TO HER LIKING WHEN HE LOSES HIS MEMORY. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT THAT'S TRUE LOVE??? Also, WHAT WAS THAT RANDOM MAGICAL BULLSHIT WHERE GRANPRE'S HAIKUS PREDICTED THE FUTURE??? I WAS IJBOLING SO HARD BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK WHERE DID THAT COME FROM??? WHY IS THERE METAPHYSICAL MAGIC IN THIS STORY@#$%^&* I don't care if the author wanted this to evoke a fairy tale feeling BECAUSE THE BOOK WAS MAINLY CONTEMPORARY UNTIL THE FINAL FEW PAGES SO THE WHIPLASH WAS ??? If the author wanted to evoke a magical feeling then the power of poetry as an artform should have been leveraged instead ??? What a wasted opportunity!!! I was so disappointed that haikus were mostly used as a gimmick instead of a means to explore the characters' thoughts and relationships and develop the romance further. BUT NO!!! This book just throws its underdeveloped characters into the most nonsensical dramatic asf situations and expects us to root for them. The only interesting character in this story is BILODO (which makes sense because the original book is from Bilodo's perspective.) TALIA'S ONLY PERSONALITY IS LIKING BILODO. I'M SORRY. IF YOU WANT TO WRITE A GOOD ROMANCE. BOTH CHARACTERS HAVE TO BE INTERESTING ENOUGH FOR ME TO ROOT FOR THEM!!!
Is this a good romance? No. However, my goal with this book was to learn how to express myself better and I think it did help me to accomplish that. The writing is so playful but to a point where I was just laughing at how unnecessarily flowery it is. LIKE GIRL. YOU DID NOT NEED TO BE DOING ALL THAT WAHAHAHAHA. It was doing the literary equivalent of cartwheels, backflips, and death drops WAHAHAHA.
If you're coming into this book expecting a heartwarming romance, I'D RATHER HAVE YOU WATCH A K-DRAMA INSTEAD. I recommend LOVELY RUNNER!!! Lovely runner sets out what this book aimed to accomplish AND DOES IT X1,000,000 TIMES BETTER!!! Don't waste your time with this book jfc.
August 25, 2019
Beautiful, lyrical & haunting. A one-sitting read.
July 18, 2018
Picked this book without realising it is a sequel to Lonely Postman, I'm not one for reading synopsis of books in my library. Went for it because I have a good feeling about the publisher (I liked Lonely Postman and Sweet Bean Paste). Anyway, the plot felt kind of contrived since the beginning of the book and is filled with a few twists (not major) which make it more interesting. Been a 3 star until the finale where everything was brought back to a full circle again with a bang. Wow. Upped it to 4 stars immediately.
June 11, 2022
Marvellously enchanting. A dazzling representation of life and destiny alike. It recalls classic mythology with the Greek’s belief in the ouroboros symbol, as well as traditional Zen Buddhism and their concept of endless loops that represented life.
Apart from this, it deals with the simplicity but complexity of the human nature and our relationships with one another: to what extent shall one go in order to pursue love? Or a feeling they believe to be love? Is forgiveness and love our destiny?
Apart from this, it deals with the simplicity but complexity of the human nature and our relationships with one another: to what extent shall one go in order to pursue love? Or a feeling they believe to be love? Is forgiveness and love our destiny?
August 15, 2019
Dit is deel b, ten minste in mijn ogen. Het eerste boek, en dit vervolg zouden samen 1 boek vormen.
Dit boek volgt volledig het verhaal uit het eerste boek.
Nog steeds heel mooi geschreven, mooi taalgebruik, mooie gedichten, maar het verhaal zelf is veel onwaarschijnlijker. Ik ben er tweeledig over, ergens was het wel een mooi vervolg, maar tegelijkertijd was het ook goed geweest als het boek over de postbode op zichzelf staand zou zijn geweest.
Dit boek volgt volledig het verhaal uit het eerste boek.
Nog steeds heel mooi geschreven, mooi taalgebruik, mooie gedichten, maar het verhaal zelf is veel onwaarschijnlijker. Ik ben er tweeledig over, ergens was het wel een mooi vervolg, maar tegelijkertijd was het ook goed geweest als het boek over de postbode op zichzelf staand zou zijn geweest.
January 5, 2022
Prachtig boek met een mooi verhaal. Het verhaal wordt afgewisseld met haiku’s, wat het lezen extra bijzonder maakt. Vergeet niet om eerst deel één te lezen, zodat je begrijpt waar het boek over gaat.
April 12, 2023
Stejný názor jako u prvního dílu. Krásné a příjemné čtení. Rozuzlení celého příběhu mě velice překvapilo a bylo to dost napínavé, abych u toho vydržel fakt velice dlouho a nenudil se. Obě knížky jsou nápadem velice originální a až nádherně smutné.
February 19, 2019
Quite a roller coaster ride
March 28, 2024
Ich weiß nicht so ganz, was ich mit diesem Buch mache. Ich habe es gerne gelesen. Doch die moralischen Entscheidungen der Charaktere machen es für mich weniger zu einer romantischen Liebesgeschichte, und mehr zu einer Geschichte über zwei gleichermaßen fragwürdige Persönlichkeiten, die unter seltsamen Umständen zueinander finden. Ich hätte mir eher ein Ende gewünscht, das eine deutliche Message über die Unerzwinglichkeit der Liebe sendet, allerdings war das Gegenteil der Fall. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, was ich aus diesem Ende schließen soll.
(Ich wusste übrigens nicht, dass das Buch eine Fortsetzung ist, bis ich es durch die Rezensionen hier erfahren habe.)
(Ich wusste übrigens nicht, dass das Buch eine Fortsetzung ist, bis ich es durch die Rezensionen hier erfahren habe.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2017
The Postman’s Fiancée by Denis Theriault, is reminiscent of the movie While You Were Sleeping. In this story, Tania, a waitress in Montreal, falls in loves with one of her customers a postman by the name of Bilodo. Unbeknownst to Tania, Bilodo has already fallen for his haiku pen pal in Guadeloupe, a young woman he has never meet.
As fate would have it, Bilodo loses his memory after an accident in which Tania saves his life. Seeing an opportunity, Tania decides that she will tell Bilodo they are engaged. She moves him into her apartment and fabricates a web of lies that she will never be able to extract herself from. Bilodo’s physician believes that his memory will eventually return. What will Tania do then?
The story was cute and the characters were flawed but in a good way. The reader could easily see that Tania was headed for disaster but what happens in the end will surprise you. This book would make a great beach read. I think what surprised me the most about this book is the elegant prose. I was not expecting that and it just made the story more enjoyable. Acutal rating is 4.5 from which I rounded up.
I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewers program, in exchange for my honest opinion.
See my blog at www.thespineview.com for other reviews and author interviews.
As fate would have it, Bilodo loses his memory after an accident in which Tania saves his life. Seeing an opportunity, Tania decides that she will tell Bilodo they are engaged. She moves him into her apartment and fabricates a web of lies that she will never be able to extract herself from. Bilodo’s physician believes that his memory will eventually return. What will Tania do then?
The story was cute and the characters were flawed but in a good way. The reader could easily see that Tania was headed for disaster but what happens in the end will surprise you. This book would make a great beach read. I think what surprised me the most about this book is the elegant prose. I was not expecting that and it just made the story more enjoyable. Acutal rating is 4.5 from which I rounded up.
I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewers program, in exchange for my honest opinion.
See my blog at www.thespineview.com for other reviews and author interviews.
March 2, 2019
Having read the first book, I was thrilled to bits when I located the book on a visit to my local library. However, when I started to read it, I found that it paled in comparison to the first book, The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman.
I found the prose of the first book beautiful and with the poetry weaved in the key points of the plot, it was just sheer captivating. Though this book follows from the previous book and is narrated at the start from Tania's side of the story, something seems to be lacking. While I could conjure vividly the scenes involving Bilodo, the protagonist previously, the second book didn't do it for me. On second thoughts, I probably should not have read this book to keep alive the magic of the first book.
However, if you wish to unfold the events and wondered eventually what will happen to the love triangle, this book may be for you.
I found the prose of the first book beautiful and with the poetry weaved in the key points of the plot, it was just sheer captivating. Though this book follows from the previous book and is narrated at the start from Tania's side of the story, something seems to be lacking. While I could conjure vividly the scenes involving Bilodo, the protagonist previously, the second book didn't do it for me. On second thoughts, I probably should not have read this book to keep alive the magic of the first book.
However, if you wish to unfold the events and wondered eventually what will happen to the love triangle, this book may be for you.
April 1, 2017
This was a delightful and original book; one you cannot put down until fully devoured. Theriault’s writing style is elegant, his characters opulent and his descriptions enticing. His work has depth and mystery with meaning and a little verve. Reality is skillfully suspended as one follows the protagonists on their way to love. However, before you read The Postman’s Fiancé, reading its predecessor, The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman, is a must. They are so beautifully intertwined; I cannot imagine reading one without the other. The Postman’s Fiancée completes the first novella and together, they are extraordinary. I highly recommend this creative Canadian-French author!
December 6, 2019
I only read The Postman’s Fiancé because I had read The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman and wanted to find out the outcome of the story. At first I thought the second book was going to be better but in fact it was too wordy so started to drag somewhat. I noticed that each book had a different translator - so this may well have been the reason. I felt it to be very “clunky”
i.e the hands of the clock guillotined the minutes implacably It just didn’t flow. At least I’ve learnt something about about haiku and tanka! I really did like the story - just not the way it was written, or maybe translated.
i.e the hands of the clock guillotined the minutes implacably It just didn’t flow. At least I’ve learnt something about about haiku and tanka! I really did like the story - just not the way it was written, or maybe translated.
December 28, 2017
The Postman's Fiancée continues the cyclical story started in The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman, this time from the point of Tania, the lonely waitress who loves Bilodo from afar.
It's as elegant and sensuous as the original volume - a sheer delight. I definitely recommend reading them both, in order.
It's as elegant and sensuous as the original volume - a sheer delight. I definitely recommend reading them both, in order.
August 13, 2017
Not quite as quirky or intense as The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman but that might just be due to familiarity dulling the effect. This was still a highly satisfying sequel/companion. If you liked the first book, you'll want to read this as well.
April 22, 2019
Bilodo, poštár s morálkou hrdinov crazy komédií nakoniec nezomrel. Zachránila ho sympatická čašníčka Tania, ktorá bola výraznou postavou v prvej knihe. A keďže Bilodo si po nehode nepamätá veci s posledných rokov, Tania ho presvedčí, že sú zasnúbení. Veľa vtipných momentov, menej haiku a tanky. Lepšie ako jednotka. Skvelý záver. #trebacitat
December 12, 2018
Je zvláštní, jak taková malá knížečka dokáže člověka napnout a pohltit. Moc příjemné čtení kombinované s opět vynikajícím překladem. Must read pro všechny, kdo uz Biloda i Taniu znají... a vlastně i pro vsechny ostatní :-)
December 31, 2018
Příběh začíná tam, kde končí její první díl. Popisuje lásku dvojí, která se proplétá s haiku básněmi.
Tak poutavý jen ten děj a tolik emocí se v knize nalézá, že čtenáře nepustí dokud není přečtená její poslední stránka.
Tak poutavý jen ten děj a tolik emocí se v knize nalézá, že čtenáře nepustí dokud není přečtená její poslední stránka.
June 1, 2017
Un roman qui m'a complètement séduite et subjuguée !
Il est d'une pureté incroyable, il vous transporte dans la folie d'un amour qui se consume, qui se fourvoie, qui se trouve.
Ici, nous suivons Tania, serveuse, et Bilodo, facteur. Ce sont deux personnages atypiques qui cachent une profondeur d'âme extrême. Chacun à leur manière ils sauront toucher votre cœur. Si parfois nous pouvons les trouver légers, excentriques, et bien sachez qu'ils vous révéleront bien des secrets et vous surprendront de beaucoup de manières, car au fond d'eux, ils se consument de complexité mais aussi de beaucoup de cœur, de passion.
Bilodo et Tania...deux personnages similaires au fond. Ils se battent et se perdent eux-mêmes pour la même chose : l'amour. Un amour idéalisé qui pousse à toutes les folies.
Bilodo est un personnage attachant, qui se retranche dans l'idéal, qui vit un peu par procuration, dans l'imaginaire, pour fuir la réalité, sa réalité, et ainsi ne pas se confronter au monde réel.
Tania, qui nous semble plus terre à terre, n'est finalement pas mieux lotie dans cet amour qu'elle s'imagine.
Bilodo et Tania : deux êtres face à face qui ne se voient pas...et pourtant...
A travers l'histoire de Bilodo et de Tania , ce que j'ai beaucoup apprécié ce sont les haïkus. Ce fut une découverte pour moi et ils m'ont littéralement conquise. Si cela ne ressemble en rien à la poésie traditionnelle que nous connaissons, j'ai quand même trouvé que cela résonnait dans ma tête comme une belle mélodie dont les accords se font à l'instant T, à l'éphémère. Je dis bravo à l'auteur pour ceux-ci qui correspondent en tous points à l'histoire de Bilodo et Tania, à ce qu'ils vivent, à ce qu'ils ressentent, à ces mots qu'ils n'osent dire à voix haute.
Donc, au fil des pages, vous découvriez pléthores de haïkus, de tankas et de renkus, des "poèmes" japonais qui confèrent à ce récit une atmosphère incroyable, presque irréelle. Ils font rêver, séduisent.
Page après page, vous irez de découvertes en surprises, vous voguerez au gré du cœur de Tania, de ses folies, vous naviguerez sur la surprenante personnalité de Bilodo, sur sa vérité, vous vous laisserez submerger par les émotions intenses dégagées par chaque mot, chaque situation, chaque phrase que l'auteur vous offrent comme un cadeau, comme une sorte de conte où la fin sonne comme un recommencement.
A travers ce texte, l'auteur nous montre comment notre cerveau peut si facilement se formater pour se créer un idéal, un amour, un avenir, avant même de le vivre, de le toucher, de le palper. C'est étonnant de voir les réactions des personnages lorsque la réalité retrouve son axe et que tout se met en place.
La plume de l'auteur est envoûtante, fluide, elle vous transmet toute l'émotion que ressentent Bilodo et Tania, toutes les subtilités de leurs pensées, de leurs espoirs, de leurs peurs, de leurs joies...si fugaces soient-elles.
Une plume magnifique, maîtrisée.
Une plume qui compose des haïkus de manière magistrale et très intelligente.
Ce roman vous paraîtra peut-être léger au premier abord, mais ne vous y trompez pas, la broderie que nous tisse Denis Thériault avec ses mots est bien plus futée et regorge de complexité. La complexité des cœurs, la complexité des âmes...
Bref, un excellent roman que je recommande. Un roman qui m'a charmée tant par ses personnages que par son écriture et ses haïkus, tankas et renkus. Je dois avouer que la fin du texte m'a soufflée car je ne m'y attendais pas du tout. Un récit qui ne manque pas de rythme, certes un rythme lent mais non dénué de rebondissements et de surprises.
Je voudrais noter également qu'il n'est pas nécessaire d'avoir lu le premier tome, LE FACTEUR ÉMOTIF, pour pouvoir lire celui-ci, moi-même je ne l'ai pas lu et pas une seule fois je ne me suis sentie perdue pendant ma lecture, ni ressentie de manque, même si du coup j'ai très envie de le découvrir.
Un roman avec des personnages touchants, parfois troublants, une histoire addictive, prenante, une plume envoûtante et un petit côté rêveur, magique, qui m'a séduite.
A découvrir.
Il est d'une pureté incroyable, il vous transporte dans la folie d'un amour qui se consume, qui se fourvoie, qui se trouve.
Ici, nous suivons Tania, serveuse, et Bilodo, facteur. Ce sont deux personnages atypiques qui cachent une profondeur d'âme extrême. Chacun à leur manière ils sauront toucher votre cœur. Si parfois nous pouvons les trouver légers, excentriques, et bien sachez qu'ils vous révéleront bien des secrets et vous surprendront de beaucoup de manières, car au fond d'eux, ils se consument de complexité mais aussi de beaucoup de cœur, de passion.
Bilodo et Tania...deux personnages similaires au fond. Ils se battent et se perdent eux-mêmes pour la même chose : l'amour. Un amour idéalisé qui pousse à toutes les folies.
Bilodo est un personnage attachant, qui se retranche dans l'idéal, qui vit un peu par procuration, dans l'imaginaire, pour fuir la réalité, sa réalité, et ainsi ne pas se confronter au monde réel.
Tania, qui nous semble plus terre à terre, n'est finalement pas mieux lotie dans cet amour qu'elle s'imagine.
Bilodo et Tania : deux êtres face à face qui ne se voient pas...et pourtant...
A travers l'histoire de Bilodo et de Tania , ce que j'ai beaucoup apprécié ce sont les haïkus. Ce fut une découverte pour moi et ils m'ont littéralement conquise. Si cela ne ressemble en rien à la poésie traditionnelle que nous connaissons, j'ai quand même trouvé que cela résonnait dans ma tête comme une belle mélodie dont les accords se font à l'instant T, à l'éphémère. Je dis bravo à l'auteur pour ceux-ci qui correspondent en tous points à l'histoire de Bilodo et Tania, à ce qu'ils vivent, à ce qu'ils ressentent, à ces mots qu'ils n'osent dire à voix haute.
Donc, au fil des pages, vous découvriez pléthores de haïkus, de tankas et de renkus, des "poèmes" japonais qui confèrent à ce récit une atmosphère incroyable, presque irréelle. Ils font rêver, séduisent.
Page après page, vous irez de découvertes en surprises, vous voguerez au gré du cœur de Tania, de ses folies, vous naviguerez sur la surprenante personnalité de Bilodo, sur sa vérité, vous vous laisserez submerger par les émotions intenses dégagées par chaque mot, chaque situation, chaque phrase que l'auteur vous offrent comme un cadeau, comme une sorte de conte où la fin sonne comme un recommencement.
A travers ce texte, l'auteur nous montre comment notre cerveau peut si facilement se formater pour se créer un idéal, un amour, un avenir, avant même de le vivre, de le toucher, de le palper. C'est étonnant de voir les réactions des personnages lorsque la réalité retrouve son axe et que tout se met en place.
La plume de l'auteur est envoûtante, fluide, elle vous transmet toute l'émotion que ressentent Bilodo et Tania, toutes les subtilités de leurs pensées, de leurs espoirs, de leurs peurs, de leurs joies...si fugaces soient-elles.
Une plume magnifique, maîtrisée.
Une plume qui compose des haïkus de manière magistrale et très intelligente.
Ce roman vous paraîtra peut-être léger au premier abord, mais ne vous y trompez pas, la broderie que nous tisse Denis Thériault avec ses mots est bien plus futée et regorge de complexité. La complexité des cœurs, la complexité des âmes...
Bref, un excellent roman que je recommande. Un roman qui m'a charmée tant par ses personnages que par son écriture et ses haïkus, tankas et renkus. Je dois avouer que la fin du texte m'a soufflée car je ne m'y attendais pas du tout. Un récit qui ne manque pas de rythme, certes un rythme lent mais non dénué de rebondissements et de surprises.
Je voudrais noter également qu'il n'est pas nécessaire d'avoir lu le premier tome, LE FACTEUR ÉMOTIF, pour pouvoir lire celui-ci, moi-même je ne l'ai pas lu et pas une seule fois je ne me suis sentie perdue pendant ma lecture, ni ressentie de manque, même si du coup j'ai très envie de le découvrir.
Un roman avec des personnages touchants, parfois troublants, une histoire addictive, prenante, une plume envoûtante et un petit côté rêveur, magique, qui m'a séduite.
A découvrir.
November 11, 2018
The Postman’s Fiancée
by Denis Thériault is a story about infatuation, love, haiku, and identity.
Tania moves from Bavaria to Montreal to fine-tune her French and fall in love. Waitressing at a restaurant frequented by 'regulars', she meets Bilodo, a shy postman who writes haiku and who is passionate about calligraphy.
It's love-at-first-sight for Tania but Bilodo, although polite, fails to respond to Tania's advances -
Tania's approach to love is delightfully dramatic. Her lack of fear is admirable and also results in some of the more humorous moments in the story -
One stormy day, their lives take a surprising turn, and become entwined in a way that neither could have predicted.
There’s a quaint, fairytale quality to the narrative and changes to the fortunes of the characters happen in flashes, creating drama without overdoing the tension.
The old-fashioned epistolary relationship between two characters (they exchange haiku and tanka) occasionally bumps against modern communication technologies, stretching the plausibility of the story, but go with it.
3/5 A modern fairy-tale (with operatic overtones).
I received my copy of The Postman’s Fiancée from the publisher, Oneworld Publications, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Tania moves from Bavaria to Montreal to fine-tune her French and fall in love. Waitressing at a restaurant frequented by 'regulars', she meets Bilodo, a shy postman who writes haiku and who is passionate about calligraphy.
He came through the door every day at noon, impeccable in his postman's uniform. He was tall, rather thin and not exactly handsome, but his gentle eyes and timid smile made Tania go weak inside.
It's love-at-first-sight for Tania but Bilodo, although polite, fails to respond to Tania's advances -
Having done some research on calligraphy, she'd draw up his bill in Unical, a script he seemed to favour, and sign it with a 'Tania' embellished with discreet flourishes.
Tania's approach to love is delightfully dramatic. Her lack of fear is admirable and also results in some of the more humorous moments in the story -
She regretted not having died the first time she'd read that poem, at the moment of her most perfect happiness...
One stormy day, their lives take a surprising turn, and become entwined in a way that neither could have predicted.
...Tania was overcome by a peculiar combination of bliss and anguish. It seemed to her that she could never be happier, and never more uneasy. So was that what it was like, true love?
There’s a quaint, fairytale quality to the narrative and changes to the fortunes of the characters happen in flashes, creating drama without overdoing the tension.
The old-fashioned epistolary relationship between two characters (they exchange haiku and tanka) occasionally bumps against modern communication technologies, stretching the plausibility of the story, but go with it.
3/5 A modern fairy-tale (with operatic overtones).
I received my copy of The Postman’s Fiancée from the publisher, Oneworld Publications, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2017
I read this immediately after finishing The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman, an odd, existential book that took me by surprise with its combination of philosophical reflection and quirky humor. It was different than I was expecting based on reviews that seemed to suggest it would be a light-hearted romp. While reading the first book is not a prerequisite to reading The Postman’s Fiancee, it’s certainly helpful. And if you’ve already read the first novel, I would highly recommend the sequel, which not only sheds some much-needed light on the eccentric postman’s boyhood, but also satisfactorily fleshes out a somewhat inconsequential character from the first book, and brings the entire saga full circle, so to speak.
The protagonist of this slim volume is Tania, a young German woman working as a waitress in Montreal, who falls in love with Bilodo, a reserved postal worker who eats his daily lunch at the diner where she works. Initially, Tania’s story seems more straightforward than Bilodo’s but slowly morphs into an interesting companion piece to the original, telling a similar story of love and deceit. It’s somewhat fanciful, while avoiding whimsy. Like its predecessor, there’s a dark pathos at its heart that speaks to isolation, the human need for connection and the lengths to which people will go to achieve it.
I preferred this book to the original, but only because it “closed the circle” for me, so that distinction is probably moot since I could not prefer one without the other. While I would not say the ending was completely satisfying, nor is it particularly happy, somehow it’s right. An insightful, thought-provoking work.
The protagonist of this slim volume is Tania, a young German woman working as a waitress in Montreal, who falls in love with Bilodo, a reserved postal worker who eats his daily lunch at the diner where she works. Initially, Tania’s story seems more straightforward than Bilodo’s but slowly morphs into an interesting companion piece to the original, telling a similar story of love and deceit. It’s somewhat fanciful, while avoiding whimsy. Like its predecessor, there’s a dark pathos at its heart that speaks to isolation, the human need for connection and the lengths to which people will go to achieve it.
I preferred this book to the original, but only because it “closed the circle” for me, so that distinction is probably moot since I could not prefer one without the other. While I would not say the ending was completely satisfying, nor is it particularly happy, somehow it’s right. An insightful, thought-provoking work.
Read
July 6, 2019“On the television, two penguins were pressing themselves together, surrounded by frozen infinitude, sheltering each other from the cold Antarctic wind.”
This novel continues the tale of Bilodo the postman, Tania the waitress and Ségolène the nifty haiku writer from Guadalupe. We first encounter these characters in The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman. This time the story focuses for the most part on Tania, who is determined to snare the haiku loving postman. Naughty Tania tells some real whoppers as part of her machinations to achieve her goal. It seems that nothing will stop her. Will a few heartfelt haiku from her warm the cockles of Bilodo’s stony heart? Is she another budding haiku writer?
The story loops around like an Enso circle.
“Swirling like water
against rugged rocks,
time goes around and around”
This is a very funny sad tale. No, scrap that - it is hilarious!
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A word of advice: be sure to read The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman before reading this novel. The stories are closely interlinked. I read the first novel in an evening.
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