The Dallergut Dream Department Store
by Miye Lee with translation by Sandy Joosun Lee
The first in a best-selling Korean duology, that has become an international sensation, I was eager to read The Dallergut Dream Department Store when it became available for US consumption. The book follows Penny who has just gotten her fantasy job working at a Department store that sells a variety of dreams to sleepers. The sleepers remember the dreams, but not the shopping experience. The novel is built out of interlocking stories that show Penny’s progression at the store, but also bring in a variety of other dreamers and dream makers. While there is a lot of whimsy and heart in the novel (characters have charming names like Babynap Rockabye and furry clawed creatures supply sleepers with comfy pajamas), there is also a philosophical undercurrent looking at how even a nightmare of test taking may be healing and the importance of not focusing too heavily on the past or future to the detriment of one’s present path. If like me you enjoy magical realism and are fascinated by dreams and how they can have impact and relation to our waking lives, this book is sure to be an interesting and enjoyable read.
Odette Toulemonde
Odette Toulemonde is another story set in a Department Store, in this case the 2006 movie is from France but set partially in Belgium. Odette played by Catherine Frot is a middle aged sales person working at a cosmetics counter of a department store. She is widowed, but lives with her grumpy daughter. the daughter’s gross boyfriend, and a sweet son who rotates through his love interests at a rapid pace. Though Odette’s life seems ordinary and at times dull, she is able to derive great pleasure from the books by her favorite author, Balthazar Balsan (Albert Dupontel). Balsan, on the other hand, though having fame and money, is seriously depressed. When the two encounter each other at a book signing, it could change both their lives in unexpected ways. The movie weaves in some magical realism, whenever Odette gets too excited she begins to float and when she listens to her favorite chanteuse, she and even family members and friends will often break into dance routines. If you are a fan of the classic French film Amelie, than Odette Toulemonde is sure to be a treat.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Service Manager
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 