Dear Paul, reader or Paul Auster fan (cause clearly I am not fan enough to really grasp this book!)
After reading the last page in Travels in the Scriptorium I am left with the feeling of WANTING to understand the unique universe of Pauls Auster's books a lot better. This book left me rather confused, as I am trying to map out the story, gallery of characters introduced – and not least mapping out the characters from Auster's previous novels as most of them reappear in this one (sometimes a bit too confusing to my liking!), and therefore I am trying to remember in what connection the characters has previously been appearing in.
The book was interesting indeed, like an experiment I guess, but for the reader I felt a bit left out. I wish I understood the solution to this novel – if any is possible to this book. My thought on this novel is that it appears almost like a maze; first it seems really ok and safe to enter – there is a familiar entrance to it and hedges on both side so you feel that the surroundings are safe. Then you enter the maze and all of a sudden you are lost – just a few pages into this novel. You are now lost in the pages of this book, and on your own (or rather the main character seems to be as lost as you are).
I'm a big Auster fan BUT did I enjoy reading it that much? Not really, honestly, although I almost don't like admitting it. The question is am I an Auster fan after all ? The book is for me simply too confusing, and during it I had to flip back and forth between the pages so I wouldn't feel too confused and uncomfortably lost within this narrative. Maybe I just grew out of ”love” for Austers world or as mentioned before, I might not be that big of a fan after all. His other works, however, is something quite different, there as been times when I have been absorbed in his world of fiction and could read it faster than any other book. However, not this time.
To finish this stream of thoughts on Paul Auster and his novel, Travels in the Scriptorium, I hope that someone out there do appreciate and get the core of this book. I think it might be understood best by other equals (here I am not incl. Myself) – who also enjoy the experiments Paul Auster pull on the reader in many of his works. Auster, indeed is a master of this genre writing – post modern meta-fiction which was so fresh and new when introduced back in the 80's with the New York Trilogy.
By doing a bit of surfing online to find out what this book really is about, I did come across Eric Grunwald fromThe Boston Globe. Grunwald suggests in his review on Travels in the Scriptorium, ”Although this novel will be understood best by those who have read Auster's work before...not having done so might actually serve you better”. So with these words I will welcome all newcomers to Austers world and suggest them to start off with this work of fiction – then they can be as confused or lost as Mr Blank (and I) … And “It is the power of fiction,” Grunwald writes, “to move you even if you don’t fully understand it.”
And all that's left to say is "Have a good read!!"
