The Brooklyn Follies
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| Author | Paul Auster |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Henry Holt and Co. |
Publication date | December 27, 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 320 pages |
| ISBN | 0-8050-7714-6 |
| OCLC | 57475869 |
| 813/.54 22 | |
| LC Class | PS3551.U77 B76 2006 |
| Preceded by | Oracle Night |
| Followed by | Travels in the Scriptorium |
The Brooklyn Follies is a 2005 novel by Paul Auster.
Plot summary
60-year-old Nathan Glass returns to Brooklyn after his wife has left him. He is recovering from lung cancer and is looking for "a quiet place to die". In Brooklyn he meets his nephew, Tom, whom he has not seen in several years. Tom has seemingly given up on life and has resigned himself to a string of meaningless jobs as he waits for his life to change. They develop a close friendship, entertaining each other in their misery, as they both try to avoid taking part in life.
When Lucy, Tom's young niece who initially refuses to speak, comes into their lives there is suddenly a bridge between their past and their future that offers both Tom and Nathan some form of redemption.
The Brooklyn Follies contains the classic elements of a Paul Auster novel. The main character is a lonely man, who has suffered an unfortunate reversal. The narrative is based on sudden and randomly happening events and coincidences.[1] "It is a book about survival" as Paul Auster says.
The novel was published in Danish in May 2005, under the name Brooklyn Dårskab. It was published in English in November 2005. The Traditional Chinese version appeared in October 2006 with the title slightly altered as Mr. Nathan in Brooklyn.
Miscellanea
- The 2007 album by Australian band Powderfinger entitled Dream Days at the Hotel Existence takes its title from Brooklyn Follies.
- One of the characters in the novel attempts to forge a manuscript of the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
- Spanish jazz pianist Iñaki Sandoval includes a song called "Hotel Existence" is his album "Usaquen" (AYVA Music, 2008), inspired by the novel. http://inakisandoval.com http://bebyne.com
External links
References
- ↑ "The Brooklyn Follies (review)". Retrieved 2010-06-23.
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