The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories: Auggie Wrens Christmas Story

By: Paul Auster

Pgs. 3-14

This week since Christmas is around the corner I decided to read a story from the “Ecco book of Christmas Stories.” I read once again my favorite story in the entire book, “Auggie Wrens Christmas Story,” by Paul Auster. This particular story was about Auggie Wren and Paul Auster, and it was non-fiction. Auggie was a friend of Paul’s that worked as a clerk at the local drug-store. His hobby was photography and in this story I found it interesting that Auggie went downtown everyday to take a picture of the changing seasons and the scenery of downtown. He did this for three years and finally put it together in a scrapbook. When he showed Paul the scrapbook, Paul was awestruck by Auggies work it was beautiful the way he showed how Earth changed everyday. But the main part of the story is based upon the fact that Auggie sees many things that happen as a clerk. One day he saw a man steal a bunch of paperback books when he was so busy at the counter, and started chasing him down the block. Auggie knew that it was useless and sort of felt bad for the crook, but Auggie later discovered the man’s wallet. His name was Robert Goodwin.

Later in the story Paul was asked to write a Christmas Story for the local newspaper. Paul went to Auggie for help. Auggie said that he would tell Paul a Christmas Story if he bought him lunch.  Auggie decided to continue the story of Robert Goodwin. After Auggie found Roberts wallet, instead of turning it into the police he kept it. He told Paul that he had it for years and one Christmas he decided to do something nice and return it to the address on the license. It turned out not to be Robert when Auggie got to the house but Roberts blind grandmother who thought Auggie was Robert and played along. Auggie spent the entire Christmas day with Robert’s grandmother, Auggie even cooked them a Christmas dinner. After dinner Auggie went to the bathroom and discovered numerous amounts of stolen camera equipment. So this was Roberts stash. Auggie took a camera and left the wallet, when he came back into the living room, Grandmother Ethel was asleep and so Auggie left. He left the wallet on the counter and went back to return the camera three years later even tough it had never been used.

This connects to my life because it I have also experience the Christmas season of giving this way and it does feel good and I’m sure this made a great story for Paul Auster. I enjoyed the way Paul Auster wrote this story for the detail and story plot. The only thing I’m wondering is why Paul out of all citizens was asked to write the story? Maybe it’s because he based himself as a character in this book, and he was still an author. This is important because it was the climax of the story in my opinion. This is another reason why I liked it because the plot was set up well. I don’t understand why Auggie told Grandmother Ethel why he was Robert, because it just made it confusing for the reader.

Auggie was a very noble, down to earth, mysterious character in my opinion. I don’t understand that though because he is a clerk at a drug store. I wonder how old Auggie was. I want to remember how Auggie put together such a creative book because maybe I will try something like that. The photography intrigued me when I pictured it in my mind. I remember when Paul said, “Now I understand what this resembles.” “Auggie you’re photographing time.” I want to live my life based on a quote like this because time is always going to be available but it’s how you choose to live your life based on time that is of the essences. Time is everything. There is never to little or to much and I think this a very interesting concept to grasp as a person. I recommend this story.