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The book is full of love and compassion. Its main character Baumgartner, a recently retired professor, is grieving the sudden loss of his wife. On the importance of interconnectedness, he poignantly says, "A person has no life without being connected to others, and if you're lucky enough to be deeply connection to another person, so connected that the other person is as important to you as you are to yourself, then life becomes more possible."
He identifies the small but touching moments in life that resonate with those who study the human condition. He asks why we remember certain moments and forget others—a good question to ponder.
Auster's writing style is captivating and to the point. For those of us trying to live in the moment, Auster helps us do just that. For me, the writing is similar to the stream-of-consciousness style of Virginia Wolf or Honore de Balzac in its simplicity, depth, and wisdom.
I read this book in one sitting. Highly recommended by anyone interested in powerful prose.
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Auster wrote this book during his 63rd winter. It feels much like a meditation on life. He writes about the story of his life and how whenever there is a fork in the road, his body breaks down. He concludes that our bodies always know what our mind does not.
He writes about the end of his mother's life, all the uncertainties about her last wishes, being alone with her during her ultimate passing, and how afterwards he turned into a block of wood. Auster reminds us that every event we experience somehow connects us to a memory. For example, his mother's passing reminded him of losing his childhood friend at the age of 14.
That is where the story begins, in your body, and everything will end in the body, as well, he concludes.
As a memoir writer, I was taken in by the calm and meditative voice used in this book. It brought me quite close to the protagonist.
Another interesting aspect of these two Auster books is how they're written in second person—a tense we don't often see. For me it's powerful in this context, allowing the reader to be one step removed from the narrator while going deeper into his psyche.
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September 22, 2024
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
“Connecting with Your Ancestors: A Writing Workshop”
Mystic Journey Bookstore
2923 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
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