Carpenter of Auguliere

By D. Wayne Dworsky

The fate of the village lay in the hands of a stranger. Meanwhile, Madeleine finds her chance to escape the throes of the village slipping away because of the demands of her ailing father. And, in the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0974904821
• ISBN13: 9780974904825
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Concrete Jungle Pr
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.5" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

THOUGHTFUL STORY AND SOME GREAT WRITING.

This small book is rather an exciting read. By exciting, I mean that it is truly well written by an author who is an obvious master story teller. Now I must admit right off that I more or less have a great disliking for allegory in all of its either glaring or subtle forms. It this case though I found that it was pleasing; more perhaps has it was presented in the form of a parable...the one method of this genre I can stomach. That is just me though; my personal taste and it is obvious after reading the several reviews here that others differ from mine. Personally I like this work. Briefly as to the plot, which has been pretty well covered here by a number of very nice reviews, this is the story of a town; a European community from the past. Things have over the years slipped into a sorry state and the people of the town have a less than positive outlook on life. Times are hard. There is an evil landlord who has laid great tax burdens upon the people. The citizens of this community find they are down trodden and are always "looking down" so to speak, rather than "up." The backbiting, negativity, grief and sorrow have left their brand upon this community. It is not the sort of place you would want to live. Along comes a carpenter from across the mountains. He brings hope and can see what those who live in this, in their eyes, grim little village. He changes the outlook of the community, but alas, people being people, they soon turn against this young messenger of love, hope and joy. Where will it all end? Is there happiness, joy, or is there more sorrow...is there hope? This is a short but oh so thoughtful book. Is it an allegory of our times? Possibly, possibly not..possibly an allegory that can be related to during many times in the past and will be pertinent many times in the future...again, because people are people and have not changed all that much down through the years and I doubt will change much in the next several hundred. The strongest part of this work is the author's study of people, how they interact, how they respond to one another. Much can be learned from the lessons here and for those interested, much can be learn as to how to tell a good tale. All in all, a very enjoyable and thoughtful read and I do recommend it highly. Don Blankenship The Ozarks.

A good read with a good moral

The Carpenter of Auguliere arrived in the mail and the appealing folk art cover and the "fairy-tale" print, made me want to begin reading right away. While this adult-style fable could be read in one sitting, the deeper meanings lurk in the background, causing the reader to slow down and reflect. The simplicity of the narrative reminds one of tales passed down from one generation to another; accounts told and re-told to teach a certain moral and to demonstrate a lesson. A small in descript village, Auguliere, set in the beautiful European countryside is plagued by a man, Mr. Robertson, who is referred to as the "landlord". He runs the community and has been declared by his ancestry to own the village and all that is part of it. Therefore, greed takes over and he taxes the people into poverty. The villagers are so down trodden and stressed that they have stopped seeing the beauty which surrounds them each and every day. Characters include Madeleine, a pretty young maiden with a gentle heart and her ailing father, whom the young woman cares for, along with several other townspeople with their own quirky personalities. Mr. Dworsky uses several other well thought out individuals to make up the tapestry of this quaint settlement. A young carpenter, Gilbert O'Sullivan crosses the mountains to get to the tiny town and he sees the beauty that the citizens no longer see. They see dismal surroundings and he sees a lush countryside and sunshine. They see only the unpleasantness, but as the carpenter makes his way into the community, the attitude begins to change. Soon, though, their reverence of Gilbert is ruined by distrust of one another and by the landlord's trickery. The chronicle ends at just the right time. The story is told and the end is surprising, leaving the reader questioning their own outlook on life. This book is a gift for the present times we are in, teaching us as it entertains us, about positive attitude, morality and spiritual vindication. I highly recommend this book for one of the most thought provoking, enjoyable reads of the season. Reviewed by: Donetta Garman, Allbooks[...]

A thought-provoking story

The author has crafted a thought-provoking story that rings from the mouths of the characters that inhabit a remote, mountainous village at the turn of the century. The reader is led into the author's imagination and guided through this tale with the gentle nudging that you would encourage someone venturing into a foreign world, eavesdropping ever so gently on those who reside in this realm. Two horses drive a colossal wagon filled with the wares of a stranger riding into town. He meets Mrs. Teivel. She is a wicked woman who defies logic, endeavoring to foretell the events of all who dare approach her. She talks in riddles and challenges the sanity of those who near her by her uncanny ability of getting under your skin. She deflects the goodness of the stranger and challenges him to be ware. Then the wolves howl at night, keeping you awake and making you think who might be a victim of their assault. Finally, we meet the landlord. He must carry out incredulous acts of collection and threat, despising those who dare cross him. He even resorts to foreclosure and extortion to exact his payments. At last we meet the heroine, Madeleine. She is young and tender, but can stand up to the landlord and is not afraid of hard work. She graciously allows the stranger's lodging in her father's workshop. Since his illness has prevented him from work, he wastes away as a spent man. As the stranger shows Madeleine that he intends to rebuild the village, she finds herself enamored by his charm. This makes her father happy since he thinks that the stranger has a future with her. But as fate would have it, something goes wrong, something is missing and somehow Madeleine got the idea that the stranger stole it. When Mrs. Teivel performs her evil tasks, the whole town turns against the stranger and makes you wonder if he can ever vindicate his image. At this point we don't want to give the plot away. One can see the author has invested a lot in the characters in order for the reader to perceive the jam that the stranger got himself in. The question is how will he get out? Dworsky has designed a work of fiction that begs the question of why people do things the way they do. He attempts to investigate how good and evil are pit against each other and how a person can get hurt...and recover. This is the prime directive of his work. The reader will be very surprised by the outcome. It's a good read.

Marvelous Maxim

The Carpenter of Auguliere is set in the small town of Auguliere, which sits in a lush valley surrounded by majestic mountains. Despite the idyllic setting, Auguliere and its people have a problem. The landlord collects monthly rent and taxes and intimidates people who struggle to pay those fees. The landlord personally determines the amount of the rent and taxes and revises the amount to keep members of the community within his grasp. The people of Auguliere struggle under this obsessive burden and try to find methods to live under oppression. The plot in this story concerns the very life blood of the small town and its people. The townspeople are fearful, downtrodden and reluctant to trust. Many are depressed about the social problems and insecurities in their town but are reluctant to relocate. People are anxious for hope. Can the community survive? The Carpenter of Auguliere is well written and has some characters that are very realistic. Several are so likeable that they become our friends. Several characters are very well drawn. Gilbert O'Sullivan, a carpenter, is a caring, hardworking, pleasant, and friendly man with enormous talent for making things. The descriptions of him are so clear that I can feel his rough, dry hands and see the sawdust in his hair. Madeleine Knesnovich is like the girl next door. She is pretty, gentle, and ministers to people in need. Madeleine, who cares for her invalid father, is easily intimidated by the landlord. She believes he threatens her livelihood. Madeleine's reactions to events are emotional and genuine. Robert Robertson, Mr. Robertson to the people of Auguliere, is the sort of person who makes "landlord" an offensive word. Robertson is much like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. He is a miser who values money and property much more than people. He can be very threatening. This novel reminds me of stories by O'Henry. Dworsky has written a wholesome saga of common people facing stressful difficulties. This novel is like a morality play. The book is ideal as a study of social systems and culture. This tale is excellent for pondering the purpose of life. I recommend The Carpenter of Auguliere for its story, its characterizations and its very spiritual plot.

A treasure of story-telling in modern time

What a surprise! In a day when violence blasts out of our motivation, how refreshing it is to encounter a story based on values. It wouldn't be interesting if it were preachy either. This story invites you into the lives of struggling people. It takes you back to a simpler time. I have to say that the landlord disgusted me at first with all his greed. But even he showed redemptive qualities towards the end making you feel sorry for him. We are led into this story by a traveling carpenter who happens upon a needy village and finds friendships easy to come by until the evil landlords fins a way to trip him up. It is a story of the struggles of good and evil, keeping you intrigued until the end. Perhaps the mission of the story is cast in the creepiest of characters I've seen in years, Mrs. Teivil. She speaks in riddles and scares everyone, including the seemingly invincible landlord. One thing we learn in this story is that no one is truly invincible. It's just a matter of luck that your vulnerability surfaces. If you want to find out how these people rectify their plight, I recommend you read The Carpenter of Auguliere. I give it five stars.