Man in the Dark: A Novel
Aug 2008 · Macmillan + ORM
3.9star
11 reviewsreport
Ebook
204
Pages
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About this ebook
A novel exploring war in an alternate post–9/11 America “is an undoubted pleasure to read. Auster really does possess the wand of the enchanter” (Michael Dirda, The New York Review of Books)
From Paul Auster, a “literary original” (Wall Street Journal) comes a novel that forces us to confront the blackness of night even as it celebrates the existence of ordinary joys in a world capable of the most grotesque violence.
Seventy-two-year-old August Brill is recovering from a car accident at his daughter’s house in Vermont. When sleep refuses to come, he lies in bed and tells himself stories, struggling to push back thoughts about things he would prefer to forget: his wife’s recent death and the horrific murder of his granddaughter’s boyfriend, Titus. The retired book critic imagines a parallel world in which America is not at war with Iraq but with itself. In this other America the twin towers did not fall and the 2000 election results led to secession, as state after state pulled away from the union and a bloody civil war ensued.
As the night progresses, Brill’s story grows increasingly intense, and what he is desperately trying to avoid insists on being told.
A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
“Absorbing.” —The New Yorker
“Probably Auster’s best novel.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Astute and mesmerizing.” —Booklist, starred review
“Auster’s book leaves one with a depth of feeling much larger than might be expected from such a small and concise work of art.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“[Auster is] a master of voice, an avuncular confidence man who can spin dark stories out of air.” —Entertainment Weekly
From Paul Auster, a “literary original” (Wall Street Journal) comes a novel that forces us to confront the blackness of night even as it celebrates the existence of ordinary joys in a world capable of the most grotesque violence.
Seventy-two-year-old August Brill is recovering from a car accident at his daughter’s house in Vermont. When sleep refuses to come, he lies in bed and tells himself stories, struggling to push back thoughts about things he would prefer to forget: his wife’s recent death and the horrific murder of his granddaughter’s boyfriend, Titus. The retired book critic imagines a parallel world in which America is not at war with Iraq but with itself. In this other America the twin towers did not fall and the 2000 election results led to secession, as state after state pulled away from the union and a bloody civil war ensued.
As the night progresses, Brill’s story grows increasingly intense, and what he is desperately trying to avoid insists on being told.
A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
“Absorbing.” —The New Yorker
“Probably Auster’s best novel.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Astute and mesmerizing.” —Booklist, starred review
“Auster’s book leaves one with a depth of feeling much larger than might be expected from such a small and concise work of art.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“[Auster is] a master of voice, an avuncular confidence man who can spin dark stories out of air.” —Entertainment Weekly
Ratings and reviews
3.9
11 reviews
A Google user
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February 6, 2011
I read Auster's "Book of Illusions" several years ago & was moved by its surreal beauty and fascinating plot line. Thumbing through Daedalus Books one day I saw Man in the Dark on sale for a mere pittance. It sounded remotely similar in tone to his earlier novel, so I ordered it. Well, to a degree, it did evoke the imagery of his earlier, more powerful novel. However, while enjoying his character's development & their struggles I found the story somewhat lacking in a satisfying level of coherence. Basically he failed to connect the dots. At the end of his brief novel we are left with strands of darkness suggesting morning light, but not quite letting us know, if morning truly does follow the night.
A Google user
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May 10, 2009
This is one I just picked up off the shelf and could not put down. Mr. Brill is an interesting character full of all types of imaginative stories and tales. No question, it is a dark book, but one of the most uniquely written books I have ever read. They broke the mold with Auster. To truly understand the book, you will just have to read it.
About the author
Paul Auster was the bestselling author of 4 3 2 1, Bloodbath Nation, Baumgartner, The Book of Illusions, and The New York Trilogy, among many other works. In 2006 he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature. Among his other honors are the Prix Médicis Étranger for Leviathan, the Independent Spirit Award for the screenplay of Smoke, and the Premio Napoli for Sunset Park. In 2012, he was the first recipient of the NYC Literary Honors in the category of fiction. He was also a finalist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (The Book of Illusions), the PEN/Faulkner Award (The Music of Chance), the Edgar Award (City of Glass), and the Man Booker Prize (4 3 2 1). Auster was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His work has been translated into more than forty languages. He died at age seventy-seven in 2024.
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