Auster is at his best when he writes about the complex effects of the world on the human heart. Using an interpretation of the current political climate, what with our useless, endless war and the useless, endless president, Auster has taken a dark snapshot of society's pull on one man, August Brill. Brill takes us on a roller coaster through his imagination on a single sleepness night, incorporating his grief and projecting it onto an imaginary character of his own making in a hope to heal himself. The stark violence of his story and tender relationships with his family juxtapose the puzzle we are all struggling with right now: how to deal with the overwhelming, senseless violence of our world and the desire to keep something true in our own lives.