Read of the Week: Timbuktu by Paul Auster

The next installment in our Read of the Week series comes from Chris, Volunteer Coordinator for Wigan. Chris suggests the charming Timbuktu by Paul Auster.

We spend our time with Mr. Bones - a philosophical dog. Mr. Bones owes his intelligence to his faithful owner, eccentric rambler Willy G. Christmas, a vigilante wanderer who has struggled to capitalize on his initially promising writing career.

What I like about this beautifully written novel is how the world is made strange through the eyes of our perceptive canine companion, and how far small acts of kindness can go in a time of crisis; when the unthinkable happens and we are thrust into the unknown.

“That's all I've ever dreamed of, Mr. Bones. To make the world a better place. To bring some beauty to the drab humdrum corners of the soul. You can do it with a toaster, you can do it with a poem, you can do it by reaching out your hand to a stranger. It doesn't matter what form it takes. To leave the world a little better than you found it. That's the best a man can ever do.” - Paul Auster, Timbuktu