‘The New York Trilogy’, by Paul Auster
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‘The New York Trilogy’, by Paul Auster
Here is my review of the book…
Critics say the first instalment in any book or movie trilogy is often the best one. Question is: does this hold true for The New York Trilogy?
Well, Auster's first story is certainly great. The lead character is Daniel Quinn, once father once married but wife and son are now dead. He's writing a book under a pseudonym: William Wilson. Ahhh... the infamous WW initials, like Walter White in the hit TV series Breaking Bad, except in this case, WW is not cooking crystal meth in a SUV down in Arizona, he's just living an independent life within Quinn's mind in New York, writing mystery novels on his behalf.
So far so good, I understand, it's just a story that David Lynch's twisted mind could have created.
So, here we are: this is the perfect trio - Quinn, Wilson and Max Work, his detective character. Then comes trouble: a guy called Peter Stillman, dressed all in white for some reason, rings Quinn's landline and says he wants to speak to Paul Auster. Quinn decides to pretend he is Auster, meets Stillman at this place, and there he’s at the receiving end of what is probably the longest monologue ever written in the history of literature, only to end with Stillman saying: "That makes no difference to me, I know you will save my life mister Auster". What's more, Quinn plants a kiss on Stillman's trophy wife lips as he leaves the place.
All done, the book could end there. Quinn, WW, Auster or whoever the lead character truly is would save the life of Stillman, the same person would run away with Stillman's wife and that would be it!
But no, it would be too simple. Here is the twist: Auster's dead son is also called Peter and he died on the same date that Stillman locked up his own son in some sort of a Babel tower. Then Quinn heads for Grand Central station where he's supposed to identify and then follow Stillman senior, Peter's dad, to make sure he won't come and hurt his son again. Problem is that a second Stillman senior is at the station, sort of a lookalike, are you still following? Quinn chooses to follow the first Stillman for two weeks, taking note of every details of his New York errands.
Soon after I have my first and only light bulb moment: perhaps, just perhaps, Peter Stillman was dressed all in white because he was dead. But the moment I understand this also coincides with the moment where I start to get lost: Daniel Quinn, Paul Auster... who really is the narrator? I’m even more confused when Quinn meets the ‘real’ Paul Auster. We learn that Quinn used to be a poet and wrote a book called "Unfinished business". He then walks through the streets of New York with Quinn. Auster says the Stillman case is over and perhaps Stillman junior has been manipulating Quinn all along. Well, if he’s dead as I assume, it's Quinn's very own mind which would be manipulating pretty much everybody in this story. Unless it’s Auster's of course.
So was there ever a case, was it just a bad dream or the narration of someone suffering from multiple personality disorder, I am not too sure if I'm honest. But the story continues regardless of my doubts.
Quinn waits for Peter Stillman and his wife, for days and nights outside of their building. He remembers the books he wrote under the name of William Wilson. WW like Walter White, in Breaking Bad, remember? Back to the beginning, sort of, but I know my very own end is approaching.
As a new case starts in the second instalment of the trilogy, with mister Black, mister Blue and mister White, I once and for all lose track of who’s who. And after pages and pages of mystery and intricate hide and seek stories between Auster and Auster, Stillman and Stillman, Quinn and Quinn, I am finally and decisively running out of energy. It feels like a marathon I can't finish off, it's simply too long and too tedious for me to carry on. I decide to stop there, before losing track of who I am.
O.V.
PS: Here is my question to other readers: how far did you manage to go and did you get the second story?
‘The New York Trilogy’, by Paul Auster
Here is my review of the book…
Critics say the first instalment in any book or movie trilogy is often the best one. Question is: does this hold true for The New York Trilogy?
Well, Auster's first story is certainly great. The lead character is Daniel Quinn, once father once married but wife and son are now dead. He's writing a book under a pseudonym: William Wilson. Ahhh... the infamous WW initials, like Walter White in the hit TV series Breaking Bad, except in this case, WW is not cooking crystal meth in a SUV down in Arizona, he's just living an independent life within Quinn's mind in New York, writing mystery novels on his behalf.
So far so good, I understand, it's just a story that David Lynch's twisted mind could have created.
So, here we are: this is the perfect trio - Quinn, Wilson and Max Work, his detective character. Then comes trouble: a guy called Peter Stillman, dressed all in white for some reason, rings Quinn's landline and says he wants to speak to Paul Auster. Quinn decides to pretend he is Auster, meets Stillman at this place, and there he’s at the receiving end of what is probably the longest monologue ever written in the history of literature, only to end with Stillman saying: "That makes no difference to me, I know you will save my life mister Auster". What's more, Quinn plants a kiss on Stillman's trophy wife lips as he leaves the place.
All done, the book could end there. Quinn, WW, Auster or whoever the lead character truly is would save the life of Stillman, the same person would run away with Stillman's wife and that would be it!
But no, it would be too simple. Here is the twist: Auster's dead son is also called Peter and he died on the same date that Stillman locked up his own son in some sort of a Babel tower. Then Quinn heads for Grand Central station where he's supposed to identify and then follow Stillman senior, Peter's dad, to make sure he won't come and hurt his son again. Problem is that a second Stillman senior is at the station, sort of a lookalike, are you still following? Quinn chooses to follow the first Stillman for two weeks, taking note of every details of his New York errands.
Soon after I have my first and only light bulb moment: perhaps, just perhaps, Peter Stillman was dressed all in white because he was dead. But the moment I understand this also coincides with the moment where I start to get lost: Daniel Quinn, Paul Auster... who really is the narrator? I’m even more confused when Quinn meets the ‘real’ Paul Auster. We learn that Quinn used to be a poet and wrote a book called "Unfinished business". He then walks through the streets of New York with Quinn. Auster says the Stillman case is over and perhaps Stillman junior has been manipulating Quinn all along. Well, if he’s dead as I assume, it's Quinn's very own mind which would be manipulating pretty much everybody in this story. Unless it’s Auster's of course.
So was there ever a case, was it just a bad dream or the narration of someone suffering from multiple personality disorder, I am not too sure if I'm honest. But the story continues regardless of my doubts.
Quinn waits for Peter Stillman and his wife, for days and nights outside of their building. He remembers the books he wrote under the name of William Wilson. WW like Walter White, in Breaking Bad, remember? Back to the beginning, sort of, but I know my very own end is approaching.
As a new case starts in the second instalment of the trilogy, with mister Black, mister Blue and mister White, I once and for all lose track of who’s who. And after pages and pages of mystery and intricate hide and seek stories between Auster and Auster, Stillman and Stillman, Quinn and Quinn, I am finally and decisively running out of energy. It feels like a marathon I can't finish off, it's simply too long and too tedious for me to carry on. I decide to stop there, before losing track of who I am.
O.V.
PS: Here is my question to other readers: how far did you manage to go and did you get the second story?
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BUS RIDING BOOKS
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Everyday I read books.
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