{"product_id":"the-punctual-paul-lou-herfurth-9798279112913","title":"The punctual Paul: A humorous, melancholy novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eA man like clockwork. A woman like a wrong note. And a cat who chooses the sink as her throne.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaul Albers is punctual. Always. At the newspaper office, in life, in thought. He edits obituaries, corrects spacing down to the millimetre, trusts his pocket watch more than the tram-and believes order is a form of dignity. Until Clara appears. And with her: tiny shifts in the beat. A smile at the wrong moment. An evening that runs \"just a little\" too long. A home that suddenly sounds different.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen Paul falls ill-and the unthinkable happens: his own death notice is printed in the paper. Set in type. Framed. Scheduled. As if his life has already been concluded. While the city keeps moving without him, Paul is forced to face a question he never planned for: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat if punctuality isn't enough to truly live?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Punctual Paul is a bittersweet, sharply observant novel with a mid-century (1950s\/60s) atmosphere-quietly funny, gently melancholic, and unexpectedly tender. It's a story about control and surrender, routine and rupture, and the strange courage it takes to be late for your own life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers who love: \u003cbr\u003e- Mid-century charm (newsrooms, trams, pocket watches, quiet streets)\u003cbr\u003e- Dry wit and subtle satire without sentimentality\u003cbr\u003e- Stories about order, letting go, and second chances\u003cbr\u003e- A scene-stealing cat named Luise (who communicates mainly through judgmental purring)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA novel about time-and the moment you realize you've planned everything except what matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Lou Herfurth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798279112913\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/19\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 116\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.32lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.24d","brand":"Lou Herfurth","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48997327667455,"sku":"9798279112913","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-punctual-paul-lou-herfurth-9798279112913","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}