Booksellers: how France went gaga for a shaggy canine story

He was a shaggy, 45kg (99lb) bernese mountain dog, with a pounding, swaying tail, interest for everything in nature and a mind-boggling fervor when it was the ideal opportunity for a stroll close to his home in the Alps. Yet, Ubac never knew, when he kicked the bucket matured 13, that he would turn into a scholarly star in France, the impossible legend of an unexpected hit that has turned into a distributing peculiarity.

A journal of Ubac's happy life - from eating his night feasts to his excited mountain strolls and excursions in the front seat of his proprietor's van - has turned into France's breakout scholarly progress of the year.

Cédric Sapin-Defour, a games instructor and mountain devotee, composed the book, Child odeur après la pluie (His smell after the downpour), not similarly as a recognition for the love people feel for their pets yet in addition as method for voicing the profound sorrow that can be felt after a canine's demise, when all that is left is a restraint and hairs, and the house appears to be too enormous without them.

Regardless of France's immense love of pets - the nation has an expected 8 million pet canines - the distributing scene didn't expect the book's prosperity. It was delivered discreetly in the spring, with a print run of 4,300 duplicates and no promoting spending plan.

Yet, staff in France's flourishing free bookshop scene started understanding it and suggesting it. Toward the finish of July it had turned into a smash hit, selling 70,000 duplicates, and acquired in ubiquity through the fall. This month, when it won the 30 millions d'amis scholarly award for books about creatures, it had sold in excess of 140,000 duplicates and is presently expected to be a top of the line decision for Christmas and new year presents.

Subsequent to winning the award, Sapin-Defour told RTL radio: "I'm extremely glad to experience a daily reality such that a book recounting a romantic tale between a man and a creature can track down such a major crowd … When I meet book shops and perusers, I can see the book implies something to them, it comforts and approves this chance of cherishing a creature."

His thought was to state doubtlessly his adoration for his pet without feeling ludicrous. Sapin-Defour despises the words "expert" or "proprietor", portraying himself and Ubac as equivalents, with every one of the flaws of an interspecies companionship. "I don't have any idea why we do our most extreme to converse with canines," he composes. "Every one of us most likely furtively fantasies about turning into the principal human on Earth whose canine answers."

But, since canines age such a ton quicker than people, time is stacked against the relationship and the book is likewise a contemplation on death. Anguish for pets in our general public should be spoken about, not quieted, Sapin-Defour contends. The frequently heard remark "In any case, you'll get another canine" is excruciating, he says.

In bookshops from Paris toward the south of France, there is currently a consistent progression of clients requesting "that book about the canine".

Laure Barros at the Garin bookshop in Chambéry said: "Toward the beginning it was portrayed as an unforeseen achievement, however bunches of book shops had understood it and thought it was radiant, so it's a merited achievement. Book retailers read it and stood available and, because of them, it turned into a media peculiarity. It shows that perusers trust book retailers.

"We've had loads of individuals coming in, perusers with pets or canines — they all see themselves in this story. Yet, it's more than that. I thought that it is incredibly elegantly composed, and he figures out how to make an extremely straightforward, essential story - his existence with his canine - something absolutely general, a reflection on life."

Manon Andrevon at the bookshop La Librairie des Bauges in Albertville said: "We're continually gotten some information about it by clients and it's now being purchased as a Christmas present, everybody is discussing it."

Aliénor Mauvignier, the proprietor of another little, free bookshop, Remark Desperate, in Rennes, said: "a verbal exchange achievement began with book shops perusing and suggesting it … Individuals who love canines, who have a connection to their pets, find in this book an affirmation of that interface they have to their own creature."