The Brooklyn Follies

lesser auster, this one finally breaks the levee of verbosity, meandering without a clear course to follow

A grumpy old man re-discovers life novel greatly enhanced by a cast of enchanting characters and a wealth of stories. The characters are really lovingly drawn with all their flaws, particularly the women who are deeply appreciated by the men for their personalities rather than the way they look. Loved Henry the loveable art forger. Probably a little too sweet for some tastes.

8/10
Truly a fascinating book. The structure is reminiscent of more autobiographical work, which has never worked for me in the past. However, somehow I was captivated by the direction-less flow of the events. It works in the same way that Leviathan succeeds (the only other Auster book I have read). The ending does a brilliant job of wrapping up all the random details and hints at a powerful twist.

A nice story about an uncle and nephew who live quiet and boring lives until one day fate brings them together...

okay.. the story progresses linearly upwards.. and ends with a big bang

and then it's not about a man who is tying the loose ends in his life anymore, but about someone whose world made sense once

A book that started off promisingly, but, ultimately, was a disappointment. Nathan Glass heads to Brooklyn to die and runs across a favorite nephew unexpectedly. The nephew, despite a strong start, is now working in a bookstore. I kept reading, with faith in Auster that he wouldn't lead me astray, but the characters felt thrown into the story randomly and the ending felt forced.