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A review by aclamadoautor
The Man Who Walked Through Walls by Marcel Aymé
4.0
I'd never heard of Marcel Aymé anywhere. I discovered him here, on Goodreads, while searching for books with strange and different short stories. And I'm really glad I did, because I loved his stories.
All of them start with everyday people and events but, soon, they take a crazy turn and head for something supernatural, humorous and satirical. The stories are entertaining throughout but, sometimes, they pay off only at the very last sentence (something I really enjoy).
From all of the ten stories included in this book, I found that just the last three were not so strong but, nevertheless, quite enjoyable. My favourite ones were:
Sabine Women – A married woman can, at will, multiply herself and exist simultaneously, in both body and mind, in as many places as she wants. She rarely uses her gift until the day when she meets a young man who becomes her lover. This way, she can be with her husband and her lover at the same time. But soon enough, things get out of control.
Tickets on Time – In order to improve productivity and anticipate shortages, the authorities issue time cards, which guarantee to the consumers a certain days of life, per month, according to their degree of uselessness.
The Wife Collector – A very kind tax collector, one who gets remorse when he sends out warnings, has a peculiar meltdown following a disillusion with his wife.
The Man who Walked Through Walls – A man finds out, he has the ability to walk through walks, but never liked to use his power. After the arrival of a new boss who hates him, the man begins to use his ability and begins to suffer a deep transformation.
The Problem of Summertime – In order to avoid the nightmare of war, an international agreement defines that, throughout the world, time would be put forward by seventeen years. This story is one of those that really pays off at the very last sentence.
All of them start with everyday people and events but, soon, they take a crazy turn and head for something supernatural, humorous and satirical. The stories are entertaining throughout but, sometimes, they pay off only at the very last sentence (something I really enjoy).
From all of the ten stories included in this book, I found that just the last three were not so strong but, nevertheless, quite enjoyable. My favourite ones were:
Sabine Women – A married woman can, at will, multiply herself and exist simultaneously, in both body and mind, in as many places as she wants. She rarely uses her gift until the day when she meets a young man who becomes her lover. This way, she can be with her husband and her lover at the same time. But soon enough, things get out of control.
Tickets on Time – In order to improve productivity and anticipate shortages, the authorities issue time cards, which guarantee to the consumers a certain days of life, per month, according to their degree of uselessness.
The Wife Collector – A very kind tax collector, one who gets remorse when he sends out warnings, has a peculiar meltdown following a disillusion with his wife.
The Man who Walked Through Walls – A man finds out, he has the ability to walk through walks, but never liked to use his power. After the arrival of a new boss who hates him, the man begins to use his ability and begins to suffer a deep transformation.
The Problem of Summertime – In order to avoid the nightmare of war, an international agreement defines that, throughout the world, time would be put forward by seventeen years. This story is one of those that really pays off at the very last sentence.