Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Pan Books (2016), Edition: Reprint, 256 pages
Description
An international bestseller, The Reader on the 6.27 is ready to take you on a journey... Guylain Vignolles lives on the edge of existence. Working at a book pulping factory in a job he hates, he has but one pleasure in life... Sitting on the 6.27 train each day, Guylain recites aloud from pages he has saved from the jaws of his monstrous pulping machine. But it is when he discovers the diary of a lonely young woman, Julie - a woman who feels as lost in the world as he does - that his journey will truly begin...
User reviews
LibraryThing member Smiler69
Really, REALLY enjoyed The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent in the original French (Le liseur du 6h27) on audio, a novella I'd spotted at the library as a recent release and just pounced on when I saw the story was about a lonely young man who works in a book processing factory (i.e.
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destroying books for a living, to his ongoing horror). He makes up for this by picking up flyaway sheets he manages to rescue from the horrible machine he's paid to operate and reading them out loud on the metro on his way to work in the morning. Eventually he finds a USB key on said metro, on which is the diary of a young woman who works as a "Madame Pipi" (bathroom attendant) who obviously has talent and aspirations of being a writer and finds himself more and more vested in discovering the woman behind the writing hiding in one of many public bathrooms somewhere in or around Paris. Very very charming story which I think any true blue booklover will adore. Available in translations all over the world, as I understand it. Show Less
LibraryThing member PriscillaM
This was a bit of a surprise to me. It was sad, amusing, hopeful & a bit querky. To compensate for the sheer revulsion of his job, Guylain Viignolles,shares each morning with his fellow train commuters, a few pages retrieved from his previous days work. The other travellers listen in hushed
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attention to his reading, although some of the material was a bit surprising. His lonely existence is one day challenged, when he comes across the diary of a young woman named Julie, whom he decides he desperately wants to meet. Other great characters in the story include, old legless Guiseppe, the elderly Mademoiselles Delacote and security guard Yvon Grimbert , all of whom add some extra charm to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member akeela
The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent is a treat for booklovers. Guylain Vignolles has a superlative appreciation for the written word and spends his workdays tortured by the act of obliterating books. In a bid to maintain his sanity, he finds a means to con the system. Superbly
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translated from the French, this is a book to savour. Show Less
LibraryThing member jon1lambert
I like reading and I like goldfish - front cover design shows 15 goldfish all bar one swimming in same direction.
LibraryThing member ExtremeLibrarian
I agree with everything the 5 star reviewers have said, however, I have given this book 4 stars because there was surprisingly little reading on the 6.27 train and a bit too much information about public toilets! Did enjoy it. Jean-Paul Didierlaurent is a short story author and this is his first
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full length book (although not too long) and was really good. Show Less
LibraryThing member jon1lambert
A really good story about an ordinary paper recycler and lavatory attendant. Also interesting is the translation. How would the translator translate the word 'strapontin'? Well, first of all it is 'the narrow folding seat to the right of the door', then 'the jump seat' and then the folding seat.
LibraryThing member SashaM
A lonely and slightly odd man who desperately needs to get a job that doesn't depress him, finds a usb stick on his train and goes in search of the girl who wrote the diary entries on it. It is a best seller on France I am told. Didn't hate it but didn't love it either. Compared to Amelie, but
Enjoyable though and a quick read.
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while it is a bit kooky it doesn't have that same sense of fun. Enjoyable though and a quick read.
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LibraryThing member jayne_charles
Before I could enjoy this book I had to rid myself of the feeling I was being preached at. With its emotive language surrounding the book pulping plant where the main character works, clearly this was going to be a novel in which the pulping of books is tantamount to burning them. And naturally all
Having said all this, how could anyone read this book and maintain such an attitude of cynicism beyond the first few chapters? I was won over by its sheer charm and playfulness and willingness to go where most other novels don't (notably into subterranean public toilets). There is an individuality about it - not least in terms of its focus on people on the fringes of society - and a line in comedy that would have restored my faith in the French sense of humour, had it ever been in doubt.
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the books that end their days in the "Zerstor" are works of genius, such that extracts rescued by the protagonist and read out on the train have everyone agog. Now my issue with this is that there are books that don't sell for a reason, and I've read my fair share of badly written self-published books whose authors couldn't spell, punctuate or be arsed with editing. I would have happily tipped them in and cranked the handle myself.Having said all this, how could anyone read this book and maintain such an attitude of cynicism beyond the first few chapters? I was won over by its sheer charm and playfulness and willingness to go where most other novels don't (notably into subterranean public toilets). There is an individuality about it - not least in terms of its focus on people on the fringes of society - and a line in comedy that would have restored my faith in the French sense of humour, had it ever been in doubt.
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LibraryThing member sianpr
A heart-warming and chocolate box tale.
LibraryThing member BoundTogetherForGood
This is the first French translation I've ever read.
The story follows Guylain to his daily work, recycling books, and we observe him as he reads on the 6.27 train to work each day. It isn't what you think, though; Guylain reads aloud to passengers on the train. Through this enjoyable part of his
The story follows Guylain to his daily work, recycling books, and we observe him as he reads on the 6.27 train to work each day. It isn't what you think, though; Guylain reads aloud to passengers on the train. Through this enjoyable part of his
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day he is intruduced to other lovers of books. Show Less
LibraryThing member JanetWS
The story is fluid, the people are real, the feelings and experiences are both bizarre and believable, and the tapestry of their lives is colourful, the suspense is pleasurable to read.
LibraryThing member Fliss88
I often find with a book translated into English that at times, it didn’t quite translate. Nonetheless I enjoyed this unusual story with its quirky characters. Books are central to the narrative, but not as I expected.
LibraryThing member secondhandrose
A French bestseller I read this in a few hours. Enjoyable enough.
LibraryThing member Jfranklin592262
Meh.....it was okay. It was an enjoyable quick read....it just wasn't a great read.....I have a hard time believing this is a International best seller. It seriosly lacked both character and story development.
Awards
Communauté française (Grand Prix — 2005)
Language
Original language
French
Physical description
7.75 inches
ISBN
9781447276494
Local notes
Guylain Vignolles lives on the edge of existence. Working at a job he hates, he has but one pleasure in life ...Sitting on the 6.27 train each day, Guylain reads aloud. And it's this release of words into the world that starts our hero on a journey that will finally bring meaning into his life. For one morning, Guylain discovers the diary of a lonely young woman: Julie. A woman who feels as lost in the world as he does. As he reads from these pages to a rapt audience, Guylain finds himself falling hopelessly in love with their enchanting author.
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