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Show Flanders THE ASSOCIATEDPRESS act” he has ever committed. oving to Brooklyn to dieé isn’t as ink easy as one backdrop for a parade of ec- might think. As Paul Auster makes clear in his novel, “The Brooklyn Follies,”life often comes between a man and his plans. In this bewitching tale of human folly and adventure, Auster introduces Nathan Glass, a retired insurance salesman who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. “lwas looking for a quiet place to die,” he begins his stoTy.“ recommended Brooklyn.” Having decided to spendhis remaining daysin the Big Apple’s biggest bor- ough, the lonely Glass begins to write an accountof “every blunder,every pratfall, every embarrassment, every idiocy, every foible and every inane JULIAN BARN centric characters, including an overweight, ex-graduate student cabdriver; a flamboyant ex-convict who is now a rare-books dealer; a little girl who mysteriously refuses to speak;aa a feneaieal ning examples of human imperfection.” Indeed, the most i aspect of Auster’s novelis the descriptions ofthe lives and destinies that come together in the raucousness of the Brooklynstreets. The unendingseries of personalities andencounters helps pull the reader along from one page to the next. Auster's gift for straightforwardstorytelling shines throughout the novel. Turning away from the dark and sometimes overly intricate plots that made up his earlier books, Austeropts instead for a heartwarming yarn about personal failure and collective redemption, written in the Spare prose that has come to characterize his work. At times, however,this simple style undermines the richness of his characters, leading the reader to wonder why an author with Auster’s talent limits himself to the hohum observations of a former insurance salesman. She te ee STAYING IN Nathan Glass thinks Brooklyn is to die for The Stitching Corner Inc. Generations of Sewing Experts 8 e Daily Herald, Thursday, February 16, 2006 631 E. 1700 S. Orem ¢ 801 426-6900. HENRY HOLT/AP Paul Auster, authorof “The Brooklyn Follies.” Yet, in the end, the banality of some of Glass’ musings tends not to be too bothersome, and the simplicityof the storytelling does not detract from the overall sweep of the narrative. While certainly less cerebral than somte of Auster’searlier books,“The Brooklyn Follies” presents a smorgasbord of intriguing characters and farcical anecdotes that provide a fulfilling reading experience. As both Glass and the reader discover, Brooklynturns out to be a betterplace tolive than to die. “The BrooklynFollies.” By Paul Auster. Henry Holt. 320 Pages. $24. released, he is unable to con- tinue his practice as a solicitor specializing in transportation law,and appeals to Sir Arthur for help in clearing his name. With the plot of his story laid outby history, Barnes is free to bring his extraordinary gifts to bear in this beautifully character-driven novel, filled with the sensibilities and rich detail of the late Victorian age. Memorable,finely drawn characters people these pages, from Edalji, who trusts implicitly in the law, to the frighteningly arrogant Chief Constable, to Doyle’s inner andouterlives. “Arthur & George”is a beau- Visit the ae. obituaries online to sign a Guest Book or send flowers. Dailysaterald okam SIGNS OF Hae ys Es tifully nuanced novelof time, place and the human heart. ‘Forty Signs of Rain’ A monthago,| accidentally reviewed Kim Stanley Robinson's “Fifty Degrees Below” before making mention of the first bookin the series, “Forty See the obituary section at www.heraldextra.com Lisnicely into yours, his family become the subject of anonymous,frightening hate mail and bizarrepractical jokes. A series of animal mutilations in his neighborhood of Great Wyverly lead to his arrest and imprisonment on baseless charges. When he is Characters from a Senate environmental aide to employees of the National Science. Foundation,to exiled Tibetans, to the President himself take the foreground as Robinson explores the themes of science, mysticism, primal nature and Signs of Rain.” As one might imagine, Book 2 makes muchbetter sense after having read Book 1, but the first book is a fascinating beginning.Do not be fooled by the coverinto thinking “Forty Signs of Rain”is a print varia- knowledgeand literary gifts are well known from many previous award-winning, best- selling books, and he does not disappointiin this well-crafted, tion of that scarifying global warming movie “The Day After Tomorrow.” Global warming is indeed its subject, but the development ofthe story is rich and gradual. D Laura Wadleyis a librarian with the Provo City Library. E-mail her at lauraw@provo. lib.ut.us. Srvere Heapacues? MIGRAINES? TeNsioN Hrapacues? Stine Neck? T Market Research Interviewers Set your own hours with the 117 largest and fastest growing international Calt 226-1524 market research fm inthe world, 1998 S, Columbia Lane, Orem, UT 84097 $8 to $12/Hour » PAID TRAINING No Seng Required » Good Typing Sits QHarrisInteractive HGSCHOOL STUDENTS WELCOME T APL Thearis Pl Penge te Thelatest in BYU Sports online wwww.heraldextra.com |
