The Book of Illusions (2002) by Paul Auster About the story: Six months after losing his wife and two young sons in an airplane crash, Vermont professor David Zimmer spends his waking hours in a blur of alcoholic grief and self-pity. Then, watching television one night, he stumbles upon a clip from a lost film by the silent comedian Hector Mann. Zimmer’s interest is piqued, and he soon finds himself embarking on a journey around the world to study the works of this mysterious figure, who vanished from sight in 1929. Who was Hector Mann? An Argentinean-born comic genius, with a signature white suit and fluttering black moustache, a master of “backpedals and dodges…sudden torques and lunging pavanes…double takes and hop-steps and rhumba swivels.” Presumed dead for sixty years, he had flashed briefly across American movie screens, tantalizing the public with the promise of a brilliant future, and then, just as the silent era came to an end, he walked out of his house one January morning and was never heard from again. Zimmer’s research leads him to write the first full-length study of Hector’s films. When the book is published the following year, a letter turns up in Zimmer’s mailbox bearing a return address from a small town in New Mexico – supposedly written by Hector’s wife. “Hector has read your book and would like to meet you. Are you interested in paying us a visit?” Is the letter a hoax, or is Hector Mann still alive? Torn between doubt and belief, Zimmer hesitates, until one night a strange woman appears on his doorstep and makes the decision for him, changing his life forever. About the author: Paul Auster is an American born Novelist who has received acclaim for his distinct theme choices which include; coincidence, descriptions of an austere existence as well as identity, to name a few. He was born in Newark, New Jersey to a Jewish Family. His parents were of Polish lineage, his father, Samuel – who was a landlord and his mother, Queenie Auster. Unfortunately, their marriage was an unhappy one and eventually resulted in divorce. Auster became a brother at age 3 to a psychologically unstable sister. His upbringing was in South Orange, New Jersey. He is a Columbia High School graduate as of 1970. Upon graduating, he shifted to Paris, France. There, his main source of income involved translating French literature. Since returning to the U.S. in 1974, he has published a vast array of work. Paul Auster was first wed to notable writer Lydia Davis with whom he shares a son – Daniel Auster. He later married writer Siri Hustvedt, in 1981. The couple who reside in Brooklyn at present. Together they have one daughter, Sophie Auster. Sophie Auster is a famous American actress and singer. Auster gained publicity after his highly praised debut novel; “The Invention of Solitude”, a memoir published in 1982. The book has two divisions – “Portrait of an Invisible Man”, which is regarding the unexpected loss of Auster’s father, whereas in “The Book of Memory”, Auster portrays his individual opinions relating to themes such as coincidence, destiny, and seclusion. Subsequently, Auster received prominence for a collection of three detective stories published as “The New York Trilogy”. The Trilogy is thought to be both unconventional
and eccentric detective stories. He manages to emerge with his own idiosyncratically “postmodern” being in the process. The exploration of identity and sentimental meaning has infused Auster’s future works, the majority of which contemplate chiefly on the function of coincidence and random happenings. Auster also explores relationships between men and their peers and environment in “The Book of Illusions” – 2002 and “Moon Palace” – 1989. Auster’s protagonist frequently discover themselves compelled to work as part of someone else’s unfathomable and beyond what can be perceived schemes. In 1995, Auster was responsible for writing, as well as being one of the producers of films such as “Smoke” and “Blue in the Face”. Auster more recent works; “Oracle Night” (2003), “The Brooklyn Follies” (2005) and the short story “Travels in the Scriptorium” have also been well received by the literary community.
Other interesting information: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/oct/26/fiction.fashion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2dooIPasFcl https://electricliterature.com/paul-austers-dirty-devouring-new-york-aa1e3aef72a
Topics for Discussion: 1. Hector was a maker of silent comedy. How does comedy (or the idea of it) resonate throughout the novel? 2. David Zimmer says towards the novel’s close that he had known Alma for only eight days. How does Auster play with time in the book? 3. What is real and what is imagined in The Book of Illusions? 4. Why does Hector insist on destroying his later films? What do you think Alma’s motivation is for actually carrying through with their destruction? 5. On the night of Hector’s death, the phone rings in Alma’s cabin. Alma leaves David to answer it, but when she brings the receiver to her ear, no one is at the other end of the line. Who do you think phoned Alma?