Review: Baumgartner by Paul Auster

Auster is, without a doubt, a masterful prose writer and this latest novel presents a mature and deeply emotional portrayal of grief. A miniature epic, it takes the reader on a journey through an individual’s life by weaving together a compendium of memories. The crystalline prose slowly and surprisingly reveals folders of the past including even the most mundane and everyday scenarios. In the novel’s early pages, as Sy gazes at the blackened aluminium pot in the kitchen, he recalls his first encounter with Anna, when he was just 20 years old.

“He thinks of mothers and fathers mourning their dead children, children mourning their dead parents, women mourning their dead husbands, men mourning their dead wives and how closely their suffering resembles the after effects of an amputation, for the missing person was once attached to another living person, and if you are the one who lives on, you will discover that the amputated part of you, the phantom part of you, can still be a source of profound, unholy pain. Certain remedies can sometime alleviate the symptoms, but there is no ultimate cure.”

Sy Baumgartner is a remarkable character who the reader relates to even though he is old, lonely, and grieving. Really, he is more fun than any youthful, ordinary protagonist. Perhaps it’s his unique blend of sarcasm, honesty, and warmth that makes him stand out and ensures that the reader stays deeply interested.

This slim novel crafted with much detail and nuance provides an accomplished depiction of human experience. Every aspect of life is explored in unflinching detail, from the soaring highs of love and desire to the crushing lows of jealousy, heartbreak, and loss. With a keen eye for the complexities of the human heart, the author weaves a tapestry of emotion that is both rich and varied, offering the reader a glimpse into the myriad pathways that shape our lives.

“Nevertheless, he has carried around those strange images in his head for years, millions upon millions of body-souls driving their cars down massive, interconnecting roads and highways, each person behind the wheel a human sized monad locked within the metal carapace of an insect like car, every man and woman from the multitudinous horde alone in the midst of streaming, often perilous traffic, and the body behind the wheel, which is also a mind, or a soul, or an intelligence, is responsible for making hundreds of small and large decisions to pilot the car safely to its destination.”

An exploration of how we remember those who have left us, the novel seeks to unravel the complexities of the human mind and understand why some fleeting and seemingly insignificant moments persist in our memory while others, of supposedly greater importance, fade away. Grief is a deeply personal and subjective experience that each individual navigates in their own unique way. It is a journey that can be both painful and transformative, as it often involves losing a part of oneself. However, in the midst of this pain, there is a search for meaning and purpose.

Baumgartner is a profound work that makes the reader understand the value of an individual life with all its personal history and the uniqueness of its memory.

Hritik Verma is an independent reviewer. He blogs at allayingart.wordpress.com. He is @Hritik38233434 on Twitter and @allayingart on Instagram

In his latest novel, American novelist Paul Auster delves into the life of Seymour Baumgartner, a distinguished author and philosophy professor, on the verge of retirement. Baumgartner’s life has been shaped by his love for his wife, Anna, who has been an integral part of his existence. Her death means he now has to navigate his seventies without her. Despite her physical absence, Anna’s presence continues to permeate Baumgartner’s existence and he constantly reminiscences about their 40-year relationship. He is haunted by her voice and feels her influence in every aspect of his life.

Auster is, without a doubt, a masterful prose writer and this latest novel presents a mature and deeply emotional portrayal of grief. A miniature epic, it takes the reader on a journey through an individual’s life by weaving together a compendium of memories. The crystalline prose slowly and surprisingly reveals folders of the past including even the most mundane and everyday scenarios. In the novel’s early pages, as Sy gazes at the blackened aluminium pot in the kitchen, he recalls his first encounter with Anna, when he was just 20 years old.

“He thinks of mothers and fathers mourning their dead children, children mourning their dead parents, women mourning their dead husbands, men mourning their dead wives and how closely their suffering resembles the after effects of an amputation, for the missing person was once attached to another living person, and if you are the one who lives on, you will discover that the amputated part of you, the phantom part of you, can still be a source of profound, unholy pain. Certain remedies can sometime alleviate the symptoms, but there is no ultimate cure.”

Sy Baumgartner is a remarkable character who the reader relates to even though he is old, lonely, and grieving. Really, he is more fun than any youthful, ordinary protagonist. Perhaps it’s his unique blend of sarcasm, honesty, and warmth that makes him stand out and ensures that the reader stays deeply interested.

This slim novel crafted with much detail and nuance provides an accomplished depiction of human experience. Every aspect of life is explored in unflinching detail, from the soaring highs of love and desire to the crushing lows of jealousy, heartbreak, and loss. With a keen eye for the complexities of the human heart, the author weaves a tapestry of emotion that is both rich and varied, offering the reader a glimpse into the myriad pathways that shape our lives.

“Nevertheless, he has carried around those strange images in his head for years, millions upon millions of body-souls driving their cars down massive, interconnecting roads and highways, each person behind the wheel a human sized monad locked within the metal carapace of an insect like car, every man and woman from the multitudinous horde alone in the midst of streaming, often perilous traffic, and the body behind the wheel, which is also a mind, or a soul, or an intelligence, is responsible for making hundreds of small and large decisions to pilot the car safely to its destination.”

An exploration of how we remember those who have left us, the novel seeks to unravel the complexities of the human mind and understand why some fleeting and seemingly insignificant moments persist in our memory while others, of supposedly greater importance, fade away. Grief is a deeply personal and subjective experience that each individual navigates in their own unique way. It is a journey that can be both painful and transformative, as it often involves losing a part of oneself. However, in the midst of this pain, there is a search for meaning and purpose.

Baumgartner is a profound work that makes the reader understand the value of an individual life with all its personal history and the uniqueness of its memory.

Hritik Verma is an independent reviewer. He blogs at allayingart.wordpress.com. He is @Hritik38233434 on Twitter and @allayingart on Instagram