Timbuktu (novella)
Encyclopedia
Timbuktu is a 1999 novella
by Paul Auster
. It is about the life of a dog
, Mr Bones, who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his homeless master is dying.
The story, set in the early 1990s, is told through the eyes of Mr Bones, who, although not anthropomorphised, has an internal monologue
in English. The story centres around his last journey with his ailing master, Willy G Christmas, to Baltimore
, but the details of both of their early lives are told in flashback
.
The title of the book comes from the concept of the afterlife
as proposed by Christmas, a self-titled poet, who believed it was a beautiful place called Timbuktu. A major running theme
in the book is Mr Bones' worry that dogs will not go to Timbuktu, and he won't see Willy again after death.
The novella also draws on themes of existentialism
, finding purpose in one's life, and a meditation on late 20th century America
. It has now been made into a play by Croatian director Borut Separovic.
It is referenced by Fionn Regan
in the song "Put a Penny in the Slot" from the album The End of History
.
There are seeming parallels between Timbuktu and the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. The protagonists are both named Christmas, they are both on a journey to visit a woman named Swanson, and both travel with a dog (in the film, a van which looks like a dog). Apart from these similarities, however, the plot and tone differ greatly.
produced an audio version of Timbuktu, narrated by Joe Barrett, as part of its Modern Vanguard line of audiobooks.
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
by Paul Auster
Paul Auster
Paul Benjamin Auster is an American author known for works blending absurdism, existentialism, crime fiction and the search for identity and personal meaning in works such as The New York Trilogy , Moon Palace , The Music of Chance , The Book of Illusions and The Brooklyn Follies...
. It is about the life of a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, Mr Bones, who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his homeless master is dying.
The story, set in the early 1990s, is told through the eyes of Mr Bones, who, although not anthropomorphised, has an internal monologue
Internal monologue
Internal monologue, also known as inner voice, internal speech, or verbal stream of consciousness is thinking in words. It also refers to the semi-constant internal monologue one has with oneself at a conscious or semi-conscious level....
in English. The story centres around his last journey with his ailing master, Willy G Christmas, to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, but the details of both of their early lives are told in flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
.
The title of the book comes from the concept of the afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
as proposed by Christmas, a self-titled poet, who believed it was a beautiful place called Timbuktu. A major running theme
Theme (literature)
A theme is a broad, message, or moral of a story. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly. Along with plot, character,...
in the book is Mr Bones' worry that dogs will not go to Timbuktu, and he won't see Willy again after death.
The novella also draws on themes of existentialism
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
, finding purpose in one's life, and a meditation on late 20th century America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has now been made into a play by Croatian director Borut Separovic.
It is referenced by Fionn Regan
Fionn Regan
Fionn Regan is an Irish singer-songwriter and artist from Bray, County Wicklow, who came to prominence in 2006 with the release of his Mercury-nominated debut album, The End of History...
in the song "Put a Penny in the Slot" from the album The End of History
The End of History (album)
The End of History is the debut album from Irish singer-songwriter Fionn Regan, released in 2006. The album was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize, and was also named Best Irish Album of 2006 by the Irish Independent.- Track listing :...
.
There are seeming parallels between Timbuktu and the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. The protagonists are both named Christmas, they are both on a journey to visit a woman named Swanson, and both travel with a dog (in the film, a van which looks like a dog). Apart from these similarities, however, the plot and tone differ greatly.
Adaptations
In 2009, Audible.comAudible.com
Audible.com is an Internet provider of spoken audio entertainment, information, and educational programming.Audible sells digital audiobooks, radio and TV programs, and audio versions of magazines and newspapers....
produced an audio version of Timbuktu, narrated by Joe Barrett, as part of its Modern Vanguard line of audiobooks.