Moon Palace

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Summary: The great American novel
Review: This is perhaps my favorite book. I have read it three times now, once in Spanish even (they love it in Argentina!) and it's magic still works on me. The language is so carefully crafted that once I read the lyrical first paragraph "It was the summer that men first walked on the moon ..." I have to read it all over again. I found it impossible not to feel all the emotions of the characters and to feel at the end 10 years older and wiser. When I first read it and came to the "dragon lady" scene, I was cackling with joy so much that I woke up the woman next to me on the airplane. I will never forget that description of how their love changed them. Actually I am now madly in love with a woman (a writer) and the first thing that we bonded over was our appreciation of Paul Auster. I asked her which was her favorite book and when she said "Moon Palace" I knew that she and I were destined for each other. I don't agree with other reviewers' problems with the coincidences. It's a story, a tale, fantastical at times, but it makes emotional, literary sense. It also helps that I grew up in NYC, so the scenes in central park are more powerful for me. I envy those who have yet to discover the pleasures of this book.

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Summary: A welcome change in English lessons
Review: We read the novel "Moon Palace" written by Paul Auster in our English class and everyone wrote down a statement on the novel. This is the review summarising our different aspects and various opinions on the book. In the whole our class liked the novel and considered it interesting and enjoyable to read even though there are some points of criticism. One is that the moon that Paul Auster chose as a leading motive for his novel loses its fascination and its importance by not fitting into the context and being artificially forced into various situations. Often a logical connection of the term and the plot is missing. The second aspect that a lot of us disliked was the fact that there are so many coincidences occurring in the book, for example Fogg meeting his long-lost father and grand-father only by accident, that all realism and parts of the book's fascination get lost. Paul Auster's novel contains many different stories that are taking place during different times and diverse settings. That they sometimes don't become one is irritating and confusing for the reader and make a connection and a deeper meaning missing. Another point of criticism was the author's way of starting every episode with its result. Caused by this a lot of tension is lost. Disappointing for some of us was the ending of the story. Fogg losing everything he had reached and gained throughout the whole novel, his father, his grand-father, his girlfriend and all his money seemed like destroying the whole development in the book. But nevertheless many of us considered "Moon Palace" an enjoyable novel that is combining aspects of entertainment and sense and is including an imaginative plot. The selection of settings contained in the novel is of importance because each of the totally different settings has its own function in the story. By jumping around in time as well as in setting with diverse flashbacks and describing the life of Fogg's ancestors, "Moon Palace" becomes thrillin! g and full of tension. What is also interesting and different about this novel is that caused by giving the reader the ending of the story at the beginning a new kind of tension is created. The question is no longer what might happen, but how is it going to become reality. Paul Auster's understandable language and style are familiar and he makes the words meet the point, so the reader feels bound close to the action and can in this term feel and live with the main character. This character, Fogg, is created by the author in a fascinating way. He is an individualist having his own extraordinary ideas who is going through a story of initiation. Fogg changes from a dreamer and outsider into an adult taking over responsibility. By this development he is becoming a round and interesting character.
As a conclusion I would say that some of us would not have gone through the novel voluntarily and for others "Moon Palace" was a book that once you start reading it you will hardly stop, everyone found some positive aspects about it and it was a welcome change in English lessons.

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Summary: You will feel you're in the story itself!
Review: I have just finished the book and feel as if i was in it.
And when I read it was his father, my eyebrows almost fell off my head!!!
It's a must read.

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Summary: One of those books that reminds you what a good book is!
Review: A compelling story of one mans search for his place in our society, the accidents and coincidence that make it. And ultimately his recovery from overwhelming tragedy. This is one of those books that remain in your mind, I read it four or five months ago now and I still think of it often. This is a novel that reminds you how good a novel can be.

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Summary: Wonderful, as usual
Review: I decided to read Paul Auster after his interviews on Israel television during a trip here last year. I've not been disappointed. "Moon Palace" is witty, erudite and original. Depth not withstanding, Auster is a remarkably easy author to read; natural and flowing. His "lief-motif" of haphazard connections making up the fabric of a person's life is particularly appealing to those of us who are "baby-boomers" - that regardless of the impact of science in our lives, some pattern exists - even if it is haphazard and random-chance. If you've never read Auster - do so, you'll enjoyably breeze through the book and have things to think about afterward.

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Summary: this book is a must-read
Review: I have read almost all of Paul Auster's fiction and feel this book is amongst his best. Just when I thought I knew where the book was headed, another change came, leading the story in a more complex direction. The theme I pick up on in many of Auster's books is his characters' self-destructiveness and search for meaning in their lives. Each character in this book has a complex past and clear personality traits based on their pasts. I found this book gripping. I came to the last few pages while riding the uptown E train in NYC. I couldn't wait until the end of the day to finish it, so I finished it while standing at the corner of 52nd and Lexington Avenue. The end was so breathtaking I was literally wiped out when I got to my office. This book, in my estimation, is one of the finest pieces of fiction written in the past decade.

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Summary: Magical
Review: I resisted reading Paul Auster -- he lives in my neighborhood, and is THE celebrity author -- but a friend pressed this book on me. He's a magical, supremely gifted writer, who's written one of the best books I've ever read. Acutely observed, painfully frank and remarkably adept at evoking a time and place I lived through. Highly recommended.

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Summary: What a book !
Review: This is a great book. What a story. When I started reading it I never expected what was coming ahead. What a creative mind. Ive also read "Music of Chance" , which to me is in many ways similar to "Moon Palace". One warning: it's a bit slow in the beginning. But don't give up ! Wonderful characters suddenly appear.

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Summary: So exciting story. A novel for the youth.
Review: I think he is a man of ability as a storyteller. The way of telling the story is so natural that we can imagine the shape,color,mood of atmosphere lively. When I read the passages about the painter,Blakelock's(? - I read this book in Korean version) work, I was fascinated with Blakelock's work that i've never seen. But as the story goes on the latter part of the novel, I've rather disappointed. Meeting with grandfather 'by chance' , meeting with father 'by chance'... It seemed that many important accidents happened 'by chance' continuously. Anyway, I think Paul Auster is a qualified writer and expect his great and developed next work.

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Summary: Another fine effort
Review: Auster has a tendency to create supporting characters that are much more interesting than his narrarator and his books use random (almost unbelievable) chance to drive the plot. Some would consider these weaknesses, but when the execution is this fascinating they become strengths; the extra touches that make the words of a writer into a compelling experience. His characters all have separate but decisive values and are incredibly aware and accepting of the motivations of others. I thoroughly enjoy any book built upon the foundation of rational but human thought, and especially appreciate the way it's melded with the themes of random chance and fate in here. Those looking for a richly detailed characters, an extraordinary view of everyday life, and an author who understands how to write human relationships should inspect all of Auster's works.