Auggie Wren's Christmas Story.

A timeless, utterly charming Christmas fable, beautifully illustrated and destined to become a classicWhen Paul Auster was asked by The New York Times to write a Christmas story for the Op-Ed page, the result, "e;Auggie Wren's Christmas Story,"e; led to Auster's collaboration on a film adaptation, Smoke.

Now the story has found yet another life in this enchanting illustrated edition with Argentine artist Isol.It begins with a writer's dilemma: he's been asked by The New York Times to write a story that will appear in the paper on Christmas morning.

The writer agrees, but he has a problem: How to write an unsentimental Christmas story?

He unburdens himself to his friend at his local cigar shop, a colorful character named Auggie Wren. "e;A Christmas story? Is that all?"e; Auggie counters. "e;If you buy me lunch, my friend, I'll tell you the best Christmas story you ever heard. And I guarantee every word of it is true."e;And an unconventional story it is, involving a lost wallet, a blind woman, and a Christmas dinner.

Everything gets turned upside down. What's stealing? What's giving? What's a lie? What's the truth? It's vintage Auster, and pure pleasure: a truly unsentimental but completely affecting tale.