The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Denis Theriault
Translated by Liedewy Hawke
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:128
Dimensions(mm): Height 198,Width 10
Category/GenreModern and contemporary fiction (post c 1945)
ISBN/Barcode 9781843915362
ClassificationsDewey:843.92
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Hesperus Press Ltd
Imprint Hesperus Press Ltd
Publication Date 12 September 2014
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

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.

Author Biography

Denis Theriault is an award-winning author and screenwriter living in Montreal. The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman is his second novel.

Reviews

'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