The Brooklyn Follies: A Novel
by Paul Auster
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Book Summary Information
Author: Paul AusterEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-17
ISBN: 0312426232
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Picador
Book Reviews of The Brooklyn Follies: A Novel
Book Review: A Readers Eye Review
Summary: 5 Stars
"I was looking for a quiet place to die," is an auspicious beginning for a book called The Brooklyn Follies that denotes Paul Auster's New York roots. Nathan is the narrator who states these words, but the story jumps between him and his nephew, Tom.
These characters are similar in several lights. Both have not had a love in a long time, have lost everything and are trying to rebuild their lives in Brooklyn.
Nathan is a man who is pulled down by the inevitable guilt of life. He has a daughter whom he is on less-than-good terms and he occasionally he drinks in great amounts.
Tom was once an aspiring graduate student, but life got in the way so he dropped out of school to become cab driver, and then the writer of a rare book catalogue.
They have both been estranged from each other for some time when Nathan runs into his nephew, and they begin to try and pull their lives up from the depths of depression.
Add another family member, a young girl who refuses to speak, who shows up on Nathan's doorstep one day, and the pages become full of interesting moments.
The Brooklyn Follies, like many good novels, takes plenty of risks. Auster takes one when he boils down what is happening to just dialogue for a section of the book - like a play.
The tale is about happiness, being loved and being found.
Take this sentence when Auster is speaking about the character Rufus, who worked at the same bookstore as Tom. "But there was something fierce in him as well, an unusual sort of idealism that rejected the vanities and desires that make us so vulnerable to the temptations of the world."
Auster shows his command of the English language with just the characterization in this sentence. He also brings up many life-affirming points, like without pain there can be no bliss, and it fills the story with hope.
The minute details give the story voice, whether they are phrases turned around, embarrassing moments, or moments that define a life.
For anyone new to Paul Auster, The Brooklyn Follies is an excellent beginning. It was billed as one of the best novels since 9/11, and it deserves to be mentioned in that light. It is not as good as the classic City of Glass, Auster's first novel, but in many ways it shows what made him so successful in the field of literary fiction; tapping into literary scenes, where books and manuscripts are prevalent.
The Brooklyn Follies should find a wide audience, and fulfill the desires of Auster fans across the world.
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