Extraordinary themes

This is my first book by the author and if I’m honest , I chose it because of the narrator. I adore listening to the voice of Joe Barrett. I was pleasantly surprised however by the content of the novel and astounded at how many novels within a novel Paul Auster could cram.
The many characters were rounded and I cared about them all as they continued along their personal roads. All the tales, unlikely, unbelievable and yet I invested. I cried when they were sad and felt happiness when things went well for them.
I recommend you give this novel the time and commitment it deserves, you will be well rewarded.

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Awesome

Love the book from the beginning & the narrator was fantastic. I really got immersed in the book. Will highly recommend!!

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Absolutely wonderful. Such a pleasure to "read".

I love the way the richness of the language gives form to marvellous stories that make you travel through times and spaces.

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1 person found this helpful

Words on longing

as i remember it from years ago. a little to much of everything but beneath all words and action a,strong solitude greatness that grips even when reread.

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First Paul Auster (I can't believe he passed me)

This is a beautiful book. The American novel at it's very best. Slow and steady, the narrative builds and the author engages and seduces. Don't expect fast food but expect a meal of exquisite proportions.

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6 people found this helpful

My favourite Paul Auster novel

Would you listen to Moon Palace again? Why?

I have already listened to it three times, and never tire of it, so yes I would listen to it again

What other book might you compare Moon Palace to, and why?

I can't think of another book I'd compare it to. It's written in the style of a 'roman d'apprentisage', used by many of the classic nineteenth century novelists, but with the added elements Paul Auster finds interesting, in particular how chance affects our lives and decisions.

Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favourite?

The main character, Marco Fogg.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yea, but it was too long for that

Any additional comments?

Well, I have mentioned it is my favourite novel by Paul Auster. It has all the elements his novels are known for, but readers of his work will know that his later work is not very satisfying for many reasons. If someone asked me the best introduction to his work, I would say this one because for me it has stood the test of time, unlike his classic 'New York Trilogy', which I have as an audio book, but which I now find dated and tiresome.

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Very enjoyable, loved Joe Barrett’s performance.

This was a very enjoyable listen for me. I was totally invested in the characters who were stunningly brought to life by Joe Barrett. Excellent.

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Nice writing but as a story, very tiring.

Starts very slowly, hard to stay with it.
Then it becomes more interesting, very good writing - for a while.
Until the very end, where you get to know who everyone was, it feels as if the writer had several stories in his head which didn't quite add up individually each to a separate, completely story. So he moulded them together and wrote one book out of them. This actually very much might be the case. The connections felt a bit contrived, and I felt a little bit cheated at the end because it started as a book about one guy.
But then, in the second part, the old man that the main character worked for became very annoying with endless stories told with a grating voice by an insufferable character. While listening, I always had the sense that his stories were vastly embellished, if not even entirely made up. This was why, for me, this part became quite tedious. You don't really get to know who the old man was until pretty much the very end of the book, so it didn’t really make sense while listening, why an old, cranky, annoying guy's phantasmagoric tales were practically taking over, and why I should even be interested.
Thankfully, at one point, at least I was relieved of the grating, arrogant old man voice the narrator was using, as the rest of his storiew we told in the 3rd person.
Then, this happened the second time with yet another character on the scene with his entire life described in very unnecessary detail!
It was difficult to hold concentration, and hard work to finish the book.
There were points in the story, where I had actually forgotten how the book started and had to think a while and remind myself how I was even taken to what I was hearing at the time.
Nice writing but as a story, very tiring.

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Rambling background noise

Beautifully read there were glimpses of interesting narrative trying to poke through....but really this was rambling and episodic: a story within a story within a story, a bit here a bit there....where was this leading.?..oh another story starts..another tangent....about two hours from the end I gave up.
I simply ceased to care what happened next - it could be going anywhere.
It felt like a sketchbook of ideas stapled together.
Well read, interesting - but a collection of incomplete first drafts.

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2 people found this helpful