Paul Auster
1999
Around 180 pages
I'm not a huge fan of animal stories, but if there is anybody who is going to make the concept tolerable, it's Paul Auster. And it's short, so the gimmick doesn't overstay its welcome.
Mr. Bones is a dog whose homeless master Willy Christmas is dying. Christmas believes that after we die we arrive in a beautiful city called Timbuktu, but Mr. Bones worries that dogs aren't allowed in the afterlife.
I'm not a dog person, but it was interesting to see Auster challenge himself with this story. And Auster can turn the most ordinary experience into a profound and meaningful revelation. He has deep respect for all of his characters, even Mr. Bones, and he never really makes him the butt of the joke.
Probably a disposable Paul Auster entry on the List, but I still had fun with it.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
Referenced by Fionn Regan in the song "Put a Penny in the Slot" from the album The End of History.
UP NEXT: Fear and Trembling by Amelie Nothomb
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