I think I must have been about 18 when my older brother gave me Paul Auster’s “New York Trilogy” as a gift for my birthday. I started reading it - and hated it! I couldn’t get into it, couldn’t get a grip on it. I put it back into my bookshelf and forgot about it for a few years.

It fell again into my hands (quite literally!) when I reorganised my shelves and I decided to give it another chance. This time around, though, I just read and suspended judgement. I won’t lie to you: I had similar difficulties as before but this time I kept reading. And, somehow, things started falling into place…

With accepting that Auster employs a unique kind of storytelling came understanding and respect for his masterful writing. Ultimately, I became completely engrossed in the three interconnected novels that make up this trilogy.

The first novel, "City of Glass", sets the tone for the rest of the trilogy with its atmospheric and almost dreamlike descriptions of New York City. Auster's ability to capture the essence of the city, with all its chaos and intrigue, is truly remarkable. The protagonist, Daniel Quinn, is a complex and fascinating character who becomes embroiled in a mysterious case that takes him on a journey through the city and ultimately leads him to question his own sanity. The way Auster weaves together the themes of identity, language, and the power of perception in this novel is simply brilliant.

The second novel, "Ghosts", picks up where "City of Glass" left off and follows a new protagonist, Blue, as he investigates a strange case involving a man named Black who may or may not be dead. As the story unfolds, the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly blurred, and Auster expertly explores the themes of memory, history, and the idea of the self.

So far, though, those novels didn’t seem like parts of a trilogy. Yes, there were interconnections, both obvious ones as well as more obscure ones but I was still a little sceptical…

And then came the final novel, "The Locked Room", which brings the trilogy to a more-than-satisfying conclusion by tying together the threads that run throughout the three books. Sometimes these threads are so thin, they might be mistaken for an undercurrent or background noise and yet they’re there…

In this final part Auster took all those threads and wove them into a beautiful complex literary “tapestry” that even now, decades later, shines bright in my memory.

Its protagonist, Fanshawe, is a writer who mysteriously disappears, leaving behind a cache of unpublished manuscripts. As his childhood friend attempts to unravel the mystery of Fanshawe's disappearance, the reader is taken on a journey through the worlds of literature, art, and the human psyche.

What I appreciated most about the "New York Trilogy" was Auster's willingness to take risks with his writing. His art - and there can be no doubt this is on par with any other great piece of art - was obviously more important than mainstream success. I remain convinced that Auster lost many potential readers like he initially lost me.

And yet he took the risk and explored complex ideas and themes in a way that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The trilogy is filled with twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes, and the characters are so well-drawn that it's impossible not to become invested in their stories.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend Paul Auster's "New York Trilogy" to anyone who is looking for a thought-provoking and engaging read. Auster's writing is truly masterful, and the trilogy as a whole is a testament to his brilliance and genius as an author.

After reading the “New York Trilogy” I’ve “blindly” bought each and every book Auster has written and with one exception (“4 3 2 1”) I’ve enjoyed them all. For me, Paul Auster has become an icon of literature and his “New York Trilogy” is the reason I hesitate to leave a book unfinished - what if it’s another unique masterpiece?!

Five stars out of five.

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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam ( )

This book is worth the read if for no other reason than it's unique structure. But it's not one of those books where you just marvel at the structure and the writes cleverness while the story leaves you cold. The stories and more importantly the characters are compelling. It's made up of three novellas. Or is it? All three take place in New York with a rich, vivid representation of the city. Each story occupying a different time period. I don't want to give any spoilers in the review, so I'll just say the book left me surprised in a very satisfying way. ( )

Ruskigt smart sätt att binda samman dessa tre böcker i en samlingsvolym. Känslan är att de vinner oerhört på att läsas tillsammans. ( )

"Người đi quanh thân thế của người". Nhân vật của Paul Auster rất giống nhau , đều mắc kẹt trong một tình huống kỳ quặc nào đó, dần dần họ loay hoay và đâm mắc kẹt trong cuộc đời và chính con người của mình luôn. Và mầm mống của tất cả thì đã bắt đầu lâu rồi, chỉ còn chờ anh nhảy vào và rầm, bẫy sập. Con người nghĩ mình có thể lựa chọn nhưng không phải vậy, thật sự rất đáng sợ, nghĩ đến những thứ vớ vẩn vặt vãnh hàng ngày ấy thế mà cho đến lúc này đã luôn hãm phanh, ngăn ta tìm đến con đường hủy hoại và phó mặc bản thân. Một cú rơi tự do ngoạn mục đầy tiềm năng.

Trong những câu chuyện của mình, Auster luôn thích dùng cái mẫu "Mãi về sau khi nhìn lại tất cả tôi mới biết" rồi kiểu "đó chỉ là một sai lầm tệ hại trong số những sai lầm mà tôi đã phạm phải ngay từ lúc đầu" làm người đọc vô cùng bất an, đến mức sau này mỗi lần bắt đầu đọc một quyển sách của Auster, chỉ vừa mở những trang đầu tiên thôi đã thấy bất an rồi.

Mình không hiểu những dụng ý của Auster, nhưng đây là một quyển sách hay. Ngôn ngữ, hình ảnh, câu chuyện, nhân vật, cách dẫn dắt, miêu tả tâm lý, rồi thế giới nội tâm của người viết, tất cả đều rất thú vị. Và như mọi khi, đọc xong chỉ mong cho cuộc đời về sau sẽ không phải gặp những khúc ngoặt kinh khủng như vậy. Thật may mắn khi ta không phải một nhân vật trong truyện của Paul Auster.

À sau khi đọc quyển này thì mình tổng kết được rằng cả Herodotus lẫn Ryszard đều bị mang tiếng là viết ký bịa đặt :)) ( )

City of Glass: 3.5
Ghosts: 3
The Locked Room: 3.5 ( )