The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman
By (Author) Denis Theriault
Translated by Liedewy Hawke
Hesperus Press Ltd
Hesperus Press Ltd
12th September 2014
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Fiction in translation
843.92
Paperback
128
Width 10mm, Height 198mm, Spine 126mm
151g
A beautifully tragic and thought-provoking tale, The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman perfectly reflects the elegance and style of Murakami and the skill and plotting of Julian Barnes. Bilodo lives a solitary daily life, routinely completing his post round every day and returning to his empty Montreal apartment. But he has found a way to break the cycle - Bilodo has taken to stealing people's mail, steaming open the envelopes and reading the letters inside. And so it is he comes across Segolene's letters. She is corresponding with Gaston, a master poet, and their letters are each composed of only three lines. They are writing each other haikus. The simplicity and elegance of their poems move Bilado and he begins to fall in love with her. But one day, out on his round, he witnesses a terrible and tragic accident. Just as Gaston is walking up to the post-box to mail his next haiku to Segolene, he is hit by a car and dies on the side of the road. And so Bilodo makes an extraordinary decision - he will impersonate Gaston and continue to write to Segolene under this guise. But how long can the deception continue for Denis Theriault weaves a passionate and elegant tale, comic and tragic with a love story at its heart. Philosophical, rich in description and detail, it cannot fail to move.
'Captivating philosophical tale in which everything happens in slow motion, as in a dream. Endowed with a powerful imagination' Le Devoir 'Perfect little story' Montreal Review of Books
Denis Theriault is an award-winning author and screenwriter living in Montreal. The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman is his second novel.