Dog's Life

[dotinthesky]

Paul Auster, Timbuktu, 1998
This is a really disappointing novel.  It starts off well enough, with its road movie type story told through the eyes of a dog, Mr Bones, who faithfully follows around schizophrenic poet Willie.  They are in Baltimore searching for Willie's English teacher, the only person to ever believe in his writing talents when he was young.  Willie seems to be based on the artist Henry Darger, but that connection is never fully explored.  Mr Bones learned language but can't speak, thanks to the limitations of being a dog.  Mr Bones uses this skill to tell his story like a rambling Beat poet (perhaps from growing up with Willie), but he doesn't have the amphetamine to inject his adventures with excitement or the brains to see beyond the sidewalks and suburbs he ends up in.  Mr Bones can tell, but he can't show.  Mr Bones can name, but he can't describe.  Very quickly this short novel loses its point and, sadly, the reader's attention.  There's nothing to be learned from it, no memorable characters.  A big, ol' "what's the point?"

I'm willing to give Auster another try since this is the first thing I've read by him.  Recommendations welcome!

Comments

[doraphilia.livejournal.com]

ugh, I HATED this book so much. It really upset me since Moon Palace was so wonderful. Give that one a try!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Will do! I thought of you when I finished the read. Didn't necessarily hate it, but was surprised at its pointless existence.

[peteyoung.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I liked it (http://peteyoung.livejournal.com/524479.html), although sure, it's probably not representational of his better known stuff. (I much preferred Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain (http://peteyoung.livejournal.com/574407.html) which similarly takes a dog's point of view.)

I can cautiously recommend Man in the Dark (http://peteyoung.livejournal.com/522651.html), although at times it felt Auster was skimming the surface of what he was trying to get at.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think your review points at what Auster wanted to accomplish... but I don't think he succeeded! He's not successful for example at completely separating Mr Auster from Mr Bones in the narrative sometimes.

I love the idea of a dog narrator because I love dogs, but ultimately there has to be a point to it. I just couldn't find it in this one.

I'll check out Man in the Dark. :-)

[millionreasons.livejournal.com]

New York trilogy is OK.

[norabird.livejournal.com]

I have to say I think Auster and disappointing go hand in hand. I haven't tried the New York Trilogy though, which people seem to like. But what I've read from his author work didn't satisfy. I did to my surprise rather like Man in the Dark. He's quite popular in Germany, for what it's worth.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I've never felt like reading him until recently, when I read a good review for Sunset Park and thought the story's premise was interesting. I might give that one a go and if I like it I'll go for the others suggested.

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

I haven't read "Timbuktu" but I've read a few Auster novels and really enjoyed them all. That said, "The Book of Illusions" was by far the best of the bunch - I'd definitely recommend that one to you!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Cool, cheers!

[amypops.livejournal.com]

You just inspired me to get out of bed and go stand on a chair in my living room just so I could tell you that the Paul Auster novel I've read and didn't enjoy was called In The Country of Last Things. I disrecommend it :-D

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Ok, will keep it in mind! Now get back to bed and take care!