The Brooklyn Follies

By: Paul Auster

Narrated by: Paul Auster

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Nathan Glass has come to Brooklyn to die. Divorced, estranged from his only daughter, the retired life insurance salesman seeks only solitude and anonymity. Then Nathan finds his long-lost nephew, Tom Wood, working in a local bookstore, a far cry from the brilliant academic career he'd begun when Nathan saw him last. Tom's boss is the charismatic Harry Brightman, whom fate has also brought to the "ancient kingdom of Brooklyn, New York". Through Tom and Harry, Nathan's world gradually broadens to include a new set of acquaintances, not to mention a stray relative or two, and leads him to a reckoning with his past.

Among the many twists in the delicious plot are a scam involving a forgery of the first page of The Scarlet Letter, a disturbing revelation that takes place in a sperm bank, and an impossible, utopian dream of a rural refuge. Meanwhile, the wry and acerbic Nathan has undertaken something he calls The Book of Human Folly, in which he proposes "to set down in the simplest, clearest language possible an account of every blunder, every pratfall, every embarrassment, every idiocy, every foible, and every inane act I had committed during my long and checkered career as a man". But life takes over instead, and Nathan's despair is swept away as he finds himself more and more implicated in the joys and sorrows of others.

The Brooklyn Follies is Paul Auster's warmest, most exuberant novel, a moving and unforgettable hymn to the glories and mysteries of ordinary human life.

©2005 Paul Auster (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Auster has written a sublime soap opera about the ways in which people abandon and save one another. He captures a historical moment, our twisted America, and he offers a message of hope. Love will save us. We will save each other. Auster employs tough-guy talk and funny, believable stories of folly in his search for wisdom and goodness." ( The Boston Globe)

"Probably the first authentic attempt to deal with the post--September 11 world . . . It is a multilayered tapestry, with whimsical chapter headings and Dickensian depth." ( San Francisco Chronicle)

"A bighearted, life-affirming, tenderly comic yarn." ( The Washington Post)

Parts are great but it's an uneven book

Long sections of this book are compelling and thought-provoking. Auster is the rare writer whose narration is just right for his prose. I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone, but big parts of the story are simply implausible, and that takes away from the whole.

Genuine funny honest well plotted tale

The book is full of characters to appreciate admire or hate and all of them have stories that end in a satisfying way that is occasionally outrageous but never contrived.

I appreciated the story of a man who came to writing later in life. I believe this part of the story most of all.

The narration was good and lent to the value of the story. This is a great lighthearted title for audio. I loved it and believe I will listen to it again in the future.

Tremendously entertaining

I read Paul Auster's Timbuktu and really enjoyed it. So I tried this book, and now I am a fan of this author. Auster is a genius in depicting irony of human lives that are tragedy and comedy at the same time. All the characters in this story are so real. The story happens to take place in Brooklyn, but I think it can happen in any U.S. city.

Relationships and Life Are Thriving in Brooklyn

This is quite an unusual book. Trying to summarize, it is about an almost 60 year old male, recuperating from cancer, an ugly divorce, and alienation from his daughter. He relocates to Brooklyn, which he left at the age of three. He has decided that Brooklyn is a good place to await his death. While he may not be physically dying, he is emotionally stagnating under a heavy fog of grief and regret for his unrealized, unhappy existence.

Nathan, shortly after his relocation, runs into his nephew, who also seems to be living an unfulfilled life, working as a lowly clerk in a bookstore that specializes in rare antiquities. Nathan resumes his relationship with his nephew and befriends the bookstore owner, the nephew's boss. From here, Nathan's life takes unexpected turns and twists and gradually he realizes he is no longer awaiting his end but starting a whole new beginning.

This book is all about RELATIONSHIPS. It is a gentle but compelling story that grabbed me from the start and didn't ever let go, despite its slow, easygoing pace. Author, Paul Auster, is a master of relationships. This book was a rare find for me, the type of story that lopes along gently, a slice of life story, heartwarming and satisfying.

Auster narrates his own book, which is often risky, but not in this case. When I first heard his voice, not realizing he was the author, I said to myself, "I really liked this narrator's voice and style." It matched the story perfectly.

So, over all, this book was a great find for me, and I recommend it if you are looking for a well-written, gentle story.

As Surprised as I Am

One never knows. Confession: Considering myself literate, I have, nevertheless never "read" anything by Auster. Heard of him, but never read him. Wanted to get around to it, but not until now. Raised in Park Slope until I was eight, I hoped this tale would be the perfect introduction to Auster --a way to relate to him, to test him, to guage his worthiness. I'm hooked now.

Not because of the Brooklyn connection but because of his communicativeness, his intelligence, and his effortless conversational story telling. (He's not a bad reader either.) He's neither afraid of the cliche nor the sublime (nor the crude either.) And the book is chock full of informational tid-bits, particularly of the literary ilk. Wonderful returns to Kafka and Cervantes, et al. (Although I was disappointed not to hear him include D. M. Thomas on his list of writers who died much too early.)

Auster's characters are real and likable. (Even when improbable.) His sudden shifts from person to person, from unexpected incident to unpredictable result drive the story merrily along. It would be excellent to meet Nate again, to see who else he might come across, as his and Tom's lives continue on into the future. This is a story line that still has life in it.

Who knows what Auster's other, earlier books may bring, but this here story sure is sending me to them. I can't wait to listen to another.

great book!

Ordered this almost at random, because it was on sale and I needed a listen.

Great book, well written, well narrated. Highly recommend.

what a delightful surprise

I bought The Brooklyn Follies written and narrated by PaulAuster on a sale pack from audible. What an interesting group of people entered my life. The story is narrated by the author in a sort of matter of fact manner, lulling the listener into the expectation of a "little" tale of this divored man, estranged from his daughter and disconnected from life.

Dont be fooled by the apparent blandness. His forced retirement due to the hapless fate of a non- smoker with lung cancer, he tetreats from life. Bu pure coincidence, he encpunters his long lost nephew Tom, the only son of his deceased sister. Tom, the former family star is a mess. Nathan, the main character is Tom's uncle and his alarm at the decline of the now underemployed Tom sparks a renewed interest in engaging with life.

Nathan is an excellent observer of what he calls the "human condition". Eventually these observations and errant thoughts accumulatr, are meticulessly sorted and develop into the Follies. We are introduced to characters so real in his telling, they take on lives of their own. We care about them, just as Nathan does and now cant help but miss this cast of misfits who slowly through their spmetimes mundane lives work their way to your heart.

i highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy quiet little books that become big memories.

Excellent!

Really enjoyed my first Auster read that I got on a daily deal. Great narrator (the author) and a tight read. Look forward to more by Auster.

"Just a sad old man with nothing to live for"

This was a pleasant story that starts with the general attitude as above and finds that life has more for him than he expected. There are many twists and turns but in general, it turns out well.

my follies

When I read or listen to a book, I hope to have learned or progressed in some way. This book was a waste of time. I don't know more or feel differently after listening to this book. I finished it, but I don't know why. The narration was good, the writing excellent and the content left me with the question "so what".