Moon Palace (Contemporary American Fiction)

A beautifully written and complex story. Takes some time to get into, but worth the effort for literary fans. One of my favorite authors!

A small cast of characters in this novel, searching for their identity, seeking to find who they are with mixed success. These are characters I can believe in, flaws and all. They look for love and connection, a place to belong, but are unable to fully accept what they find. This book isn't up to the brilliant creativity of two of his other novels, 4321 and New York Trilogy, but it's still very good. The central point of the story is a most unlikely coincidence, but without coincidences we wouldn't have much fiction to read. All in all, an exceptional novel.

Auster is a master at depicting the lowest level of the human condition. He does so here again, as he did in his non-fiction book, "Hand to Mouth." Auster understands penury and desolation as only those who have been there do. This understanding is truly because he has been there himself; and speaks from personal experience. The book is one of redemption. Can one who has sunk to the level of sleeping on the ground in Central Park and eating other people's garbage lift themselves back up to a normal or even successful life? The answer to the question is illustrated by Auster along with his other grand theme of "Coincidence." Auster actually exaggerates coincidence in his book, when he connects 3 characters through accidents of birth. All three of them are blood relatives and none of them knew this fact. All three of them found each other purely through coincidental means. For this to happen randomly is so improbably it would be ridiculous to try to calculate it. But Auster makes it seem almost a natural event, one that had to occur with surety. Ultimately, Auster leaves us in a place that is not perfect, much more realistic, and not horrible. It is a place more or less familiar to us. It is a place more or less like real life. The book is Auster in a great expository period and it is recommended to ALL readers.

The beginning was odd enough to be interesting but as the pages passed I picked up my reading pace to the point of skimming. Then I would get hooked again. Overall somewhat interesting but not enough to heartily recommend. Missing a point or purpose.

I have been aching for a book so beautifully written. I ate it up, every word, even highlighting some of the deep philosophical points that I thought I just couldn't part with. The characters are magnificent but I do have my favorite (Effing). The main character is tiresome with his self pity and stubbornness but you grow to understand him more and he grows on you like an old friend with all the flaws. I didn't think I would be a fan of stories where "everything is connected" but its so unpredictable and mesmerizing. I can't wait to read more of this authors work.

I love this book. I follow the writings of this great american author. The adventures of the young protagonist takes us through many chapters of american history until our times with stories full of adventure and tender moments . The main character , young Fogg and his way of life teaches us the conflicts of a boy with a very difficult life and how he pulls off to take control and mainly being true to himself. I recommend this reading.

I am still only 95% through this wonderful story. I don't want to finish it. But I can't wait to see what happens to Fogg. I love Effing and Kitty and Uncle Victor. It is absolutely wonderful. I think this is the third book of Auster's that I've read--by far my favorite. And I enjoyed them all.

...but many readers like that kind of thing. I hate giving less than 5 stars because I have so much love and respect for successful writers like this one. For me, though, the main character in this story is a very imaginative, confused and a depressed loser and his problems, while quite colorful, do not add up to a tale I can care about. Onward. The choices for great books yet to be read seems boundless...

Great book one of Auster's all time classic, I've been entertained by many of the man's work. RIP Paul

This story is about a painful but hopeful life of one penniless American young man who had fateful encounters with an attractive Chinese girl and with a blind and crippled wealthy old man both in New York, then learned from them that what is really important in life is located beyond the area where money can buy. I saw that love, sensitivity and empathy were the some of the examples the author indicated. As the old man once did so when he was young and had a question in life, the young man also traveled to the American West to look for the meaning of his life. Travel brings encounter, encounter produces discovery and it is accumulated as knowledge, which makes a man more far-sighted. This point was what I felt I was taught by this book.

É Paul Auster! Fantástico! Todos os livros dele são top! É LITERATURA! Eu recomendo. E acho que essa avaliação eh chata de fazer

Me gusto porque es rico en cuanto a vocabulario y uso de la lengua escrita. Lo recomiendo a todos aquellos que estén estudiando inglés con un nivel avanzado o superior. Puede que las primeras páginas cueste leerlas, pero después la lectura es ágil y engancha. Un saludo.

An orphan student is struggling for life. He got help from his friends and then he helped an old man he was working for.... and discovered a family secret. This is a very good book. Paul Auster is a good story-teller. I am going to read other books by Auster.