What a coincidence. ( )

In 1947, a friend of mine, P., was born. He went on to live much of his life in New York or Europe. He was particularly attached to France, spending much of his time there even when there was no real reason for him to do so, and that might have contributed to his fame in that country. P. became a writer of banally meta stories, another reason that the French love him so much, and I thought that he would go there and never return. Perhaps that's why I never read his work.

He published many novels and stories, gradually becoming more and more well known, until finally people were willing to publish anything he wrote.

Anyway, as I was saying, I had not met P. since his birth. Then I was sent a book in the mail by a reputable press. It was beautifully designed, and I was excited to discover what all the fuss was about. Sadly, I was greatly disappointed. His style could best be likened to soporific national public radio, in which the content is of little importance compared to the fact of your listening to national public radio and the soft, gentle voices of the presenters. P. and I will not be speaking for many years to come.

A famous writer writes bullshit about coincidences that happened to him and gets it published, while hundreds of others struggle to have their own fascinating, excellent work taken seriously. What a coincidence!!! ( )

This slim collection contains some entertaining vignettes, principally a string of coincidences that have occurred to Auster throughout the years written in a conversational tone. It's sparse and elegant writing, especially "Why Write?" which is a brief tribute to the importance of memory and reclaiming the lingering experiences of childhood. ( )

I had to read this book for my creative writing class over the summer. I didn't expect to enjoy this book. However, I discovered that Auster has a beautifully simple way of writing that makes his stories come to life. Auster's stories are so magical that they almost don't seem real. He can turn an insignificant event into something special. Reading this book had really helped me to write better! I recommend this to writers who are experiencing writers block. ( )

I liked it, three stars, nothing great. Interesting, but nothing earth shattering. ( )