International Best Seller. Winner of the 2000 Grand Prix RTL-Lire and Sinner of the Academie Francaise Short Story Award (2000). A perfect book to throw in your purse and read while waiting for the bus, plane, doctor, etc.
Amazon.com
Reading Anna Gavalda's story collection, I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere, is a bit like choosing the mini-éclair over its full-size counterpart--while the smaller size makes each morsel that much more satisfying, you can't help but wish for just one more bite. Still, in many cases, Gavalda does a better job of capturing the essence of human emotion in each five-to-ten page story than many writers manage to do in epic novels.
Gavalda sets up every story such that each character's fate can be decided in a single moment. Whether the protagonist's pivotal moment is decided by fate or free will is what keeps these 12 stories fresh and unique. In "Lead Story," traveling salesman Jean-Pierre does not learn the true horrific consequences of an almost-missed exit on the highway until opening Le Figaro the next morning. The veterinarian in Catgut decides her fate in the instant after a brutal crime leaves her feeling physically and emotionally victimized. And when the mysterious stranger answers his cell phone on a first date in Courting Rituals of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés, our heroine decides she has heard enough to cut short what could have been a passionate love affair. ("I come to my senses all at once. Traitor. Ingrate.") It is in these crucial instants, where fate plays a hand, that Gavalda truly shows off her ability to convey love, longing, loneliness, and satisfaction. And perhaps the clarity of these moments is worth more than any full-size French pastry.
Amazon.com
Reading Anna Gavalda's story collection, I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere, is a bit like choosing the mini-éclair over its full-size counterpart--while the smaller size makes each morsel that much more satisfying, you can't help but wish for just one more bite. Still, in many cases, Gavalda does a better job of capturing the essence of human emotion in each five-to-ten page story than many writers manage to do in epic novels.
Gavalda sets up every story such that each character's fate can be decided in a single moment. Whether the protagonist's pivotal moment is decided by fate or free will is what keeps these 12 stories fresh and unique. In "Lead Story," traveling salesman Jean-Pierre does not learn the true horrific consequences of an almost-missed exit on the highway until opening Le Figaro the next morning. The veterinarian in Catgut decides her fate in the instant after a brutal crime leaves her feeling physically and emotionally victimized. And when the mysterious stranger answers his cell phone on a first date in Courting Rituals of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés, our heroine decides she has heard enough to cut short what could have been a passionate love affair. ("I come to my senses all at once. Traitor. Ingrate.") It is in these crucial instants, where fate plays a hand, that Gavalda truly shows off her ability to convey love, longing, loneliness, and satisfaction. And perhaps the clarity of these moments is worth more than any full-size French pastry.
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
