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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Enthralling Read from a Master Novelist, Oct 17 2005
Good opening lines and paragraphs are tough to find but Paul Auster came up with a doozy for The Brooklyn Follies: "I was looking for a quiet place to die. Someone recommended Brooklyn, and so the next morning I traveled down there..." The I is Nathan Glass; divorced, retired insurance salesman, estranged from his daughter, lung cancer patient (in remission) who's looking for a place to die. To wile away the moments until then, Nathan begins by consigning to paper the human blunders, foibles, inane act and embarrassments committed by himself and others. He calls these his "Brooklyn Follies."Soon after his arrival in Brooklyn, Nathan runs across his nephew Tom, working at a local bookstore. A scholar destined for greatness, Tom has derailed and after years of penance driving a taxi cab, has chosen to sell rare books. What follows is a story of redemption, lost souls and the lives that intersect with Nathan and Tom's saga. Nathan is a lovable rogue. He exists in the calm eye of a storm while all around him chaos rules. His reentry into Tom's life helps Tom regain his will to live and slowly reengage life. The novel thrusts the reader into this storm, disorienting the smooth flow of plot by adding new characters and continually altering the pace. The chaos is thrilling and serves to absorb the reader more fully into the search of the main characters. Near the end of Brooklyn Follies, Auster shares a thought that permeates the novel: "Most lives vanish. A person dies, and little by little all traces of that life disappear." Nathan goes on to wonder who publishes books about the forgotten ones. Auster has answered that question with "The Brooklyn Follies," a novel chockfull of forgotten ones and little lives. Redemption for Nathan and another enthralling read from a master novelist for those of us fortunate enough to enter his Brooklyn. As Auster reminds us, "Never underestimate the power of books."
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Very confusing., Sep 23 2008
After having heard so much about Mr. Auster's novels, I finally got around to reading one. And as much as I'd like to agree with other reviewers here, I can't.
The novel is narrated. This is a partial explanation as to why it comes across as...well...the efforts of a not-very-good writer. At least in the delivery. The narrator's 'true voice'. But it doesn't account for the fact that much of the dialogue is horrible (in fact, unbelievable), and that many of the story aspects are simply laughable.
Hence, my confusion; this is the work of one of America's best writers.
As I completed the book, I was trying to imagine how this story could have been told so that justice would have been done to the various plotlines and characters. But my confusion was a little too overwhelming, so I wasn't able to see a way where this might have been possible.
I've given it three stars, but I still wouldn't recommend it.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly enjoyable, Sep 21 2008
Well considering I'm a fan of Paul Auster's literature, it should come as no surprise that after finishing The Brooklyn Follies I can confidently say I enjoyed this book. And since I enjoyed it, I would naturally recommend this novel.
As a summary of what the book is about, Nathan Glass (the main protagonist in this story) returns to Brooklyn after a divorce. He and his now ex-wife have raised a family and, realizing they no longer love one another, have divorced one another. Nathan returns to his roots, Brooklyn, where he plans to live out his days in peace and quiet.
What Nathan doesn't realize is that his old way of life is about to catch with him. People from his past who frequented the Brooklyn scene have returned. And almost immediately after coming back to Brooklyn, Nathan finds himself caught up in the lives and event of his friends and family.
I like this story because it is just that - story. The people are believable and I could put myself in to Nathan's shoes and realistically believe this story took place. Regardless of the fact it is fiction, I think Auster does a fantastic job of making it believable fiction. And that, to my mind, is the mark of a great writer.
Although summer is over (at least in my part of the world anyway) this is a great summer read. Definitely a book to take with you to the beach. And if summer is over in your part of the world as well, then make sure you pick this book up anyway. You won'tregret it.
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