So I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the one. Hmmm.... I absolutely adored Paul Auster's Oracle Night and when I found Auster's Moon Palace on a 60% off shelf in our local Borders' bankruptcy sale I didn't hesitate to add it to my haul.
Chance and coincidence are major themes of Auster's work (or so I've read in reviews and both novels I've read adhere to). I am a big fan of interweaving plots and juggling story lines, but this novel just didn't work for me. It has its moments. There are passages that shine and hint at something honest, but the ending simply falls flat. I found it a case of great buildup and little reward. Auster is clearly a talented storyteller, but I think that's what makes it all the more disappointing. I believe it would have worked so much better as a series of short stories, but as a cohesive narrative I just couldn't connect. I will say it is worth reading for the first 2/3 of the novel alone. Maybe you will love it. Maybe it will be your favorite novel ever. I know I will definitely give it another read at some point, but my initial reaction is a bit bummed.
"No one was to blame for what happened, but that does not make it any less difficult to accept. It was all a matter of missed connections, bad timing, blundering in the dark. We were always in the right place at the wrong time, the wrong place at the right time, always just missing each other, always just a few inches from figuring the whole thing out. That's what the story boils down to, I think. A series of lost chances. All the pieces were there from the beginning, but no one knew how to put them together."
Moon Palace by Paul Auster
So how about you? Reading anything interesting?
Hope you are having a beautiful week!
Namaste!
Tara
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