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The Tobacconist
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
When seventeen-year-old Franz exchanges his home in the idyllic beauty of the Austrian lake district for the bustle of Vienna, his homesickness quickly dissolves amidst the thrum of the city. In his role as apprentice to the elderly tobacconist Otto Trsnyek, he will soon be supplying the great and good of Vienna with their newspapers and cigarettes. Among the regulars is a Professor Freud, whose occasional willingness to dispense romantic advice and predilection for cigars will forge a bond between him and young Franz. It is 1937. In a matter of months Germany will annex Austria and the storm that has been threatening to engulf the little tobacconist will descend, leaving the lives of Franz, Otto and Professor Freud irredeemably changed. In the tradition of novels such as Fred Uhlman's classic Reunion, Bernhard Schlink's The Reader and Rachel Seiffert's The Dark Room, The Tobacconist tells the story of ordinary lives profoundly affected by the Third Reich. Charlotte Collins's translation perfectly captures the delicacy and artistry of the original German.
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review
Anna40
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

Franzl,a young man from Salzkammergut,leaves his home to become the apprentice of a tobacconist,one of his mother‘s ex lovers.In Vienna he falls in love with a woman who doesn‘t reciprocate his feelings,has conversations with Freud&witnesses how the city changes under Nazi rule which he opposes but can‘t fight.I love how Seethaler writes about the “little” people with warmth,depth&humor without romanticizing working class life or Nazi opposition.

Tamra Seethaler is a fantastic writer! I need to see if there are more translated works published. 3mo
Tamra Shoot, I don‘t see any more listed I haven‘t read. 😒 3mo
Anna40 @Tamra I can read German but have only read Whole life and this one. Am planning on getting his other books in German but I think his latest about the cafe will get translated soon. Would love to read the translations. I wonder how she translated the Viennese and Bohemian accent 3mo
Tamra @Anna40 I hope so! I‘ve only read the three translated works - envy you being able to read the German editions. 3mo
27 likes4 comments
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Mitch
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

I loved seeing this moment and place in history through the eyes of a young boy - coming of age at the brink of war. It‘s quirky and witty, with profound thoughts hidden behind seemingly simple sentences. It‘s written as one long prose - no chapter breaks and I felt it didn‘t let me breathe, but maybe that adds rather than detracts from the story….

annahenke Oh no chapter breaks would be TOUGH! 1y
66 likes1 comment
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Mitch
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Going to fit a one or two more in before I switch to the holiday themed book pile I‘ve been making throughout the year!

Mitch Best bit of the temperature drop today ……. I can get my favourite reading blanket back out ! 👍🏼 @DGRachel 1y
DGRachel 💖💖 1y
squirrelbrain I really liked this one! 1y
Mitch @squirrelbrain it‘s definitely started off well 👍🏼 1y
59 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Kazzie
Pickpick

Loved this book! Interesting insights into pre-war Vienna. Most interesting, and alarming and sad, we‘re the descriptions of characters grabbing with nazi occupation - many accepting and supportive, many not - always ending tragically for those. Want to read more Seethaler

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Arvena
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Mehso-so

I didn't like the style...

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Kathrin
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Pickpick

Historical fiction set in 1937/38 Vienna.

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Kat_H
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

Oh my this was good. So good. Heartbreaking and funny and important. Follows 17 year old Franz as he moves to Vienna during the late 1930s and the start of Hitler's reign. A must-read for these times. I think, anyway.

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squirrelbrain
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

Gorgeous cover, gorgeous book! A coming of age tale of a naive young man moving to a city to be apprenticed, in the midst of the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. Beautifully written and very haunting, but surprisingly uplifting too.

Thanks so much @Cathythoughts for sending it to me!

Cathythoughts I‘m so glad you liked it ! Hurray 🎉😘 5y
Tamra Such a good one! 5y
70 likes2 comments
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rachaich
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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What an ace cover. I think it'd make a good Christmas card :)
A slim novel, set on the lead up to WW2 in Austria. I've read another by this author and realky appreciated the way in which he describes the natural environment.

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BookishTrish
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
Pickpick

For writing that seemed so straightforward, this book had some amazing layers to it. Seethaler does an excellent job of making his characters - especially Franz and his mother - feel like real people. I‘d love to read more by him. Thanks @CouronneDhiver

CouronneDhiver Yay!!! I‘m glad you enjoyed it 😎 6y
Cathythoughts Sounds really good 💫💫💫 6y
61 likes2 comments
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BookishTrish
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Excited to be starting this one! @CouronneDhiver Thank you again! ❤️

Tamra A good one! 6y
CouronneDhiver Yay! 😊😊😊 6y
70 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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BookishTrish
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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This glorious #TBR has all been gifted to me by generous Littens. Realistically I can read maybe two in September. But which two? Please vote and help me #lightenmylittenload

Quasifesto Deadline! Assuming you read the first book in the series already. 6y
mcipher I liked We Have Always Lived in the Castle a lot - and it‘s fast, I think I read it in one night! I‘m intrigued by the Mira Grant, too. Love her stuff! 6y
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ScientistSam I liked Soulless! 6y
sammisho This is one of my favorites ever! 6y
DivineDiana Soulless is a fun and quick read! 6y
BookishTrish @Quasifesto I have. Many times. 6y
JamieArc We Have Always Lived in the Castle is really great, but I would save it for October. 6y
BookishTrish @JamieArc Excellent point! 6y
wanderinglynn I agree that Soulless is a fun & rather quick read. 6y
Dragon Soulless because it‘s silly and fun and an easy read 6y
Soubhiville Only if you‘ve read feed, I choose 6y
shadowspeak17 We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Dog Stars are both really good. 6y
Tamra You can‘t go wrong with Seethaler. 6y
Zelma We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a perfect fall read! 6y
105 likes19 comments
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AnneCecilie
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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I'm back. After a good night sleep and all caught up on Litsy posts, I'm ready to continue #24in48.
I won't hit 24 hours, but at least I'll get some serious reading done.

Libby1 I really enjoyed his book A Whole Life. 6y
43 likes1 comment
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AnneCecilie
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Ready to start book 5 for #24in48

emilyhaldi Ooohhh I‘ve heard a lot of great things about this! 6y
AnneCecilie @emilyhaldi me too, and so far so good. I think his other book, that I don't have, has gotten even more praise 6y
emilyhaldi The name of that book didn't ring a bell but it appears I already have it stacked! 🤷🏻‍♀️👍🏻 6y
36 likes3 comments
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emilyhaldi
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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The result of 2 weekend library sales 📚📚📚

saresmoore Yay for vintage Mrs. Dalloway! Great haul! 6y
emilyhaldi @saresmoore that's my favorite part of the haul ☺️ 6y
Tamra Seethaler is a good read. 6y
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emilyhaldi @Tamra I actually had that book stacked already bc of your review!!! So I was really excited to find it at the sale 😄 6y
Tamra @emilyhaldi 👏🏾 If you like it, try A Whole Life too. 6y
DreesReads Destiny of the Republic is sooo good!! 6y
Mdargusch You found some great books! 6y
HardcoverHearts I love a good Library sale! 6y
Leftcoastzen Nice! 6y
Pamwurtzler I spy The Summer Wives! 6y
BookMaven407 Nice 👍 6y
britt_brooke Very nice haul! 6y
RohitSawant Awesome! 6y
kspenmoll 🙌🏻🙌🏻 6y
LeahBergen Oh, you got some gooders. 👍🏻 6y
Reviewsbylola I just finished reading it and I loved it so when I saw it at the sale I made Emily buy it. 😂😂 @AudreyMorris 6y
147 likes16 comments
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Redwritinghood
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

This book didn‘t grab me the way his other book, A Whole Life, did. Nevertheless, Seethaler‘s writing is so good that it has to be a pick. He also has a way of making the reader really know his characters intimately and care for them like a friend.

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BookishTrish
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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It‘s day three of This Workweek Has 11 Days and I‘m wiped. I am so grateful to my #theCanadiantour and #buddyread friend @CouronneDhiver for the surprise #bookmail - it really brightens up these rainy days. And check out those socks! 🎶🎶🎶 Thanks, Danielle 😘

BookishTrish PS: Neither the husband or I have read this one and we‘re both Man Booker International Prize fans and looking forward to it. I called dibs. 6y
BookishTrish PPS: I super love how everything matches and agree wholeheartedly that orange is the best colour. 6y
wanderinglynn I ❤️ iClips bookmarks! I have the skull & crossbones ones - they make me smile & occasionally say “Arg!” 😉 6y
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Tamra Great writer! 6y
CouronneDhiver Yay! I‘m glad it got there safely... I‘ve never sent a pkg direct from the online store before... Did they remember to exclude my receipt? 😂 6y
BookishTrish I didn‘t see any receipt - but they sent multiple copies of your note, which was sweet! @CouronneDhiver 6y
CouronneDhiver Hahaha! Well, I guess I‘ll know for next time. 😂😂 6y
69 likes7 comments
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wormkim
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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The humour and wit in this, as in A Whole Life, is so enjoyable... When Franz meets Freud

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wormkim
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

50 pages into this but felt the need to rave about it! I don't know how he does it, but RS creates protagonists who I immediately fall in love with. First Andreas Egger in 'A Whole Life' and now Franz Huchel in this second novel I'm reading. Without a doubt, one of my new favourite authors; I can't stop gushing about him. Well... It is Valentines 😉 ♥

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Bookboss
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

A young man strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sigmund Freud in Austria at the beginning of WWII. This is a quiet coming of age book that contrasts the usual personal problems of growing up with the larger political and social problems of bigotry and fascism. Although I was a bit skeptical of the inclusion of Freud in the story, the relationship between him and the young man, Frantz, worked well.

batsy Sounds good! 6y
57 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Tamra
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

I could have posted nearly every page, the writing was that good! Perfect fit in my wheelhouse: dry wit, descriptive, spare, unsentimental, big & small questions, ambivalent characters, a small glimpse of an era & character's life...... I was pleasantly surprised at the wry humor, quite funny even though it's not a light happy story. Lots of nuggets and enough depth to make it worthy of a reread someday. Thanks @shawnmooney for the rec!

shawnmooney Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 😍😍😍 6y
cathysaid Sounds intriguing and I love that cover. 6y
Tamra @cathysaid the fact it is very fall like is a happy coincidence! 6y
See All 13 Comments
Tamra @shawnmooney he needs to hurry up & write more!! 6y
emilyhaldi Great review!! 6y
Ms_T That‘s a great review! 6y
Cinfhen Great review 😊 6y
LukkiAnn I was in love with the humor in this book. It was always in right place and time and making this book so great! 6y
LukkiAnn Great review ❤️😍 6y
Tamra @LukkiAnn I know right?! I don't recall that level of humor in A Whole Life, which I also really enjoyed. The humor brings out the absurdity of events, emotions, activities in life. 6y
LukkiAnn @Tamra I would definitely read A Whole Life. His prose is so beautiful 😍 6y
Tamra @LukkiAnn I did, and agreed it was great! I read it bc it was compared to Stoner. 6y
LukkiAnn @Tamra now I am more curious 6y
62 likes9 stack adds13 comments
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Tamra
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Amazing writing immediately on page 1! Describing a 17 year old riding out a storm under the covers in his mother's hut.

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LukkiAnn
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

It was very interesting, enjoyable read. The main character is a young man who accidentally became Sigmund Freud's friend. It set in 1937 in Vienna when fascists just occupied the city. The writing is implacable! There are humor, and wit, serious thoughts and different writing styles in one short book ❤️

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Tamra
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler

😂🤣 Enjoyed your mention of this on booktube Shawn! Cracked me up.

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LukkiAnn
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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"Today's reasons are yesterday's tomorrow, and by the day after tomorrow, if not before, there're forgotten"

I am so enjoying this book. Anansi International is a new publisher for me to watch out for.

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Tamra
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Book mail! Can't wait to start this one! I really enjoyed A Whole Life. Many thanks to

Laura317 I look forward to seeing your review. 7y
shawnmooney Great! Had you see my earlier Litsy posts, or the recent booktube video? Anyway, I too look forward to your review! 7y
Tamra @shawnmooney no, but you recommended it after I posted about enjoying A Whole Life. I finally had to order The Tobacconist from Book Depository because I couldn't find it in stores. Thanks for mentioning it! 7y
Tamra @shawnmooney I have been enjoying your booktube posts. 😁 7y
48 likes4 comments
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saresmoore
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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When you‘re watching @shawnmooney on BookTube, your Google searches become much more interesting! 😆

This episode is great, Shawn. I love your authenticity, but you do seem to have pretty crappy luck with birds... 🐦🦅

https://youtu.be/20Ed0Ho4Ero

shawnmooney 😂😂😍😍😍 Thanks girlfriend! 7y
emilyhaldi Wow I need to watch so I can improve my vocabulary! 7y
JPeterson This is a word I'm now glad to have in my vocabulary. 😂 I'll have to watch it this weekend! @shawnmooney 7y
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saresmoore @emilyhaldi Expand your vocabulary AND your TBR. 😊 7y
TobeyTheScavengerMonk This word showed up quite a bit in 7y
saresmoore @TobeyTheScavengerMonk King Dork sounds hilarious! 7y
LeahBergen I SO enjoyed today's episode, @shawnmooney ! 😘 7y
shawnmooney @LeahBergen Thanks! The deer in the headlights expression is gradually dissipating… :-) 7y
71 likes8 comments
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EvieBee
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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These are my 5-star predictions! Thank you so much for tagging me @vivastory & @ForeverNerdy ! If you haven‘t been tagged and you‘ve got your own predictions, consider yourself tagged by me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #fivestarpredictions

LeahBergen That's my kind of stack! 👍🏻 7y
Birdsong28 You are right with 7y
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Tamra I just ordered the Tobacconist on Monday. Looking forward to it. 7y
EvieBee @Jess7 @LeahBergen @Birdsong28 Thank you! Now to get them read! 🤓🤗 7y
EvieBee @Tamra Doesn‘t it sound wonderful?! Can‘t wait for your copy to arrive. ❤️ (edited) 7y
Tamra @EvieBee Did you read 7y
readordierachel I am hip deep in The Essex Serpent right now and LOVING it. If you like Victorian literature (which I think you do), it's a lovely read. 7y
Laalaleighh I loved the madwoman upstairs for all the lovely bronte speculation! 7y
EvieBee @Tamra I haven‘t but it sounds wonderful. I‘m not supposed to buy books for awhile...but I think I need that one in my life. Thank you! 7y
EvieBee @ReadOrDieRachel I do, I do, I do! I‘ve been saving it because I just know it‘s going to have all the feels. I have this delayed gratification thing when it comes to reading books I own. Sigh! But I think I will pick this up next. 7y
EvieBee @Laalaleighh I was told that as a Jane Eyre fan, I couldn‘t go wrong here. So glad you agree! 7y
[DELETED] 3803335244 Oh! The Mad Woman Upstairs on my reading list! 7y
Tamra @EvieBee it is quite good! 😊 7y
VirginiaRevel I keep hearing such good things about Essex Serpent! 7y
EvieBee @VirginiaRevel Me too! When I heard it compared to...I thought done. Must buy. 7y
97 likes1 stack add16 comments
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EvieBee
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Came home yesterday evening to these beauties in the mail. The very best mail is #bookmail . #bookhaul

BellaBookNook It's the best! Enjoy your books. 7y
JaclynW It's like Christmas! 7y
LauraBrook Lovely! And yay, Elizabeth Goudge!!! She was one of my grandma's favorite authors. 7y
EvieBee @BellaBookNook @JaclynW @LauraBrook You know it! She's making a comeback, isn't she?! So glad these reprints are decently priced on the #bookdepository . 7y
84 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Bookishj
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

Just finished reading this absolute gem! Set at the advent of the Second World War, Franzl leaves behind his provincial lake-side Austrian life for the bustle of mid-century Vienna. I found it wistfully romantic and completely charming; will definitely be coming back to Robert Seethaler again!

DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy!! 🎉📚👍😀Hope you enjoy it here! 7y
Bookishj @DebinHawaii thanks so much for the warm welcome! I'm looking forward to getting started 😁 7y
blankpagesofmine Can't wait to check this one out! 7y
Bookishj @blankpagesofmine it's well worth a read! 7y
8 likes4 comments
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shawnmooney
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

A moving tale about a wide-eyed 17-year-old country lad with a great ass (you really need to read this book now, don't you?) who finds himself plunked down in Venice in the darkening months and weeks before Hitler overruns the country. It's not the masterpiece that A Whole Life is, and I myself could have done without Freud being a character, but no matter: I absolutely loved this novel.

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shawnmooney
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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saresmoore Uh, gross. 7y
celtichik Looking forward to this book 7y
shawnmooney @celtichik Oh great! I am really enjoying it and hope to finish today. 7y
25 likes1 stack add3 comments
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shawnmooney
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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saresmoore Oh my. I'll just nip out for some goose fat because now I have a craving! 7y
shawnmooney @saresmoore You and me both! 🍽🍽 7y
BkClubCare Goose fat is the best. I have made some excellent meat pies with goose fat pastry. Mmmmmm 7y
27 likes3 comments
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shawnmooney
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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shawnmooney
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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I added a spoiler tag at first, solely to give you the choice whether or not you'd like to read a wonderful passage from this novel that involves a dead rat. :-) But then I realized that you couldn't see my comment without taking the spoiler tag off, so it defeated the purpose.

andrew61 A little life was a highlight of 2016- the ability to move the reader in such a modest story yet very poignant stood out- i look forward to reading this book. 7y
LeahBergen 😬 7y
saresmoore This made me smile—dead rat and all. 7y
andrew61 Oops i meant to say a whole life. 7y
20 likes4 comments
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shawnmooney
The Tobacconist | Robert Seethaler
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LeahBergen Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. 😉 7y
shawnmooney @LeahBergen Hmm, you're not as pervy as I'd hoped. I guess I've been overly projecting onto you? 😂 7y
LeahBergen @shawnmooney Oh, your hopes haven't been dashed. I was merely quoting here. 😂 7y
26 likes3 comments