Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Riverhead Books (2001), Edition: First Paperback Edition (stated), 176 pages
Description
A little boy is ashamed of his father. Acutely so. He cannot understand why his father accepts, at the drop of a hat, to appear as a clown at his birthday parties. He is not even paid for his act. But worse of all, he is a hopless clown, an appallingly bad one - a cringing embarrassment. In his everyday life, his father is a run of the mill teacher - nothing flamboyant, nothing special. So why does he insist on ridiculing himself in front of strangers, friends, his son Through the telling of a secret that dates back to the second World War, the boy will grow to understand what drives his father - and to respect and love the clown in him, the survivor.
User reviews
LibraryThing member GlebtheDancer
An unusual perspective on WWII, this short novella tells the story of a young boy who is embarrassed by his father's inept attempts to be a clown. He hates his father because of his ridiculousness, and because he sees him as a failure. His uncle, however, eventually tells him of an experience as a
I liked the attempt to describe what WWII did to the young men of Europe from an unusual perspective, and the writing was generally engaging. The story of the father's ordeal at the hands of the Germans was genuinely touching. However, this is a one note book, and its success or failure depends heavily on explaining precisely why the father became a clown. For me, this reveal, which is undoubtedly the climax of the book, just didn't work. I have read this book twice now, to see if I missed something, but it didn't get any better the second time round. Because the book leans so heavily on one idea, and that idea was weak, 'Strange Gardens' was a strangely unsatisfying read.
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prisoner of the Germans during WWII, that explains his father's subsequent buffoonish behaviour.I liked the attempt to describe what WWII did to the young men of Europe from an unusual perspective, and the writing was generally engaging. The story of the father's ordeal at the hands of the Germans was genuinely touching. However, this is a one note book, and its success or failure depends heavily on explaining precisely why the father became a clown. For me, this reveal, which is undoubtedly the climax of the book, just didn't work. I have read this book twice now, to see if I missed something, but it didn't get any better the second time round. Because the book leans so heavily on one idea, and that idea was weak, 'Strange Gardens' was a strangely unsatisfying read.
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LibraryThing member lndgrr
Interesting, touching, unusual fictionalized version of a French man's experience in WWII. Second half of book is in French.
LibraryThing member michigantrumpet
Send in the Clowns ...
Clowns figure at each stage of this short yet resonant novella, driving the narrative and connecting the generations. A spectator at Maurice Papon's trial; our narrator's schoolteacher-cum-fool father; an oafish Wehrmacht soldier standing guard over a clay pit; yet another in
Our young narrator is painfully embarrassed by his father Andre's unlikely and unseemly turns as a clown at various parties and functions. This all changes when Andre's cousin Gaston relates a tale of their (mis)adventures blowing up a generator for the French Rsistance. Their luck in escaping without detection soon turns as they are randomly rounded up by the Nazis with two other hapless men and thrown into a clay pit. The four are told they must choose the one to be shot. Arguments, debate and (oddly) merriment ensue, all while watched over by a face-making guard, who surprisingly offers up an intriguing solution.
Many may balk at paying much for this slim volume, split between English and French translations. I had no such qualms -- the lessons of this thought provoking little fable will echo for quite some time. For those unaware of France's role in WWII and thereafter, I would recommend googling Maurice Papon, as well as the estimable Bernard Wicki, to whom the book is dedicated. Your understanding of the book will be even more enriched. I will heartily recommend - and lend - this book to my friends.
Clowns figure at each stage of this short yet resonant novella, driving the narrative and connecting the generations. A spectator at Maurice Papon's trial; our narrator's schoolteacher-cum-fool father; an oafish Wehrmacht soldier standing guard over a clay pit; yet another in
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the final pages. Each provides a unique facet of redemption, truth and penitence in the face of moral complexity. Our young narrator is painfully embarrassed by his father Andre's unlikely and unseemly turns as a clown at various parties and functions. This all changes when Andre's cousin Gaston relates a tale of their (mis)adventures blowing up a generator for the French Rsistance. Their luck in escaping without detection soon turns as they are randomly rounded up by the Nazis with two other hapless men and thrown into a clay pit. The four are told they must choose the one to be shot. Arguments, debate and (oddly) merriment ensue, all while watched over by a face-making guard, who surprisingly offers up an intriguing solution.
Many may balk at paying much for this slim volume, split between English and French translations. I had no such qualms -- the lessons of this thought provoking little fable will echo for quite some time. For those unaware of France's role in WWII and thereafter, I would recommend googling Maurice Papon, as well as the estimable Bernard Wicki, to whom the book is dedicated. Your understanding of the book will be even more enriched. I will heartily recommend - and lend - this book to my friends.
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LibraryThing member Nataliec7
This very short book was an absolute pleasure to read. It tell the story of a young boy who's ashamed of his father as he dresses up as a clown and does a bad job it for no money. He's embarrassed his dad does this until he gets told a story about what happened to his dad in the war.
It's a lovely
It's a lovely
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little book and I enjoyed it immensely. Show Less
LibraryThing member juliechabon
This story shows the humanity possible under the worst of dictatorships and horror. A story that , with other stories of courage, can inspire one to act on behalf of his better angels.
Subjects
Awards
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000
ISBN
1573229164 / 9781573229166