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Teresa Marin

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Last updated 12 years ago

Teresa Marin

Reading the chapter one

BY TERESA MARIN

MY OPINION I think that "The Brooklyn Follies" is the easiest Paul Auster's novel, because of the story and their characters. The argument is very easy to understand, an the difference from other books by the author is clearly observed. Auster wrote a sublime soap opera about the ways in which people abandon and save one another. Also, he captures a historical moment in the US, the 11 of september, and he offers a message of hope at the end.

SUMMARY Nathan Glass has decided to go to Brooklyn to die. So begins this novel that tells us the story of Nathan Glass, a man in his sixties, recently divorced whosse daughter will not to speak to him anymore. He feels alone, very old and he's in remission from cancer, so he only thinks in finding some place to die. He runs into Tom Wood, his favourite nephew, who used to be a bright boy with a promising future, but now is depressed and lost, and he is fed up with life and hopes to change that with the help of Nathan. Tom introduces Nat to Harry, an ex-convict who is the owner of the used books store where Tom works. Their lives become different when one morning Tom finds his nine year old niece on his door, and he wonders where his mother could stay, taking into account that Rory is a controversial woman, who had been missing for a long time. Lucy, the little girl, will not speak a word and she only gestures to answer Tom and Nat's questions. They decide that Lucy would be better living with some of Tom' relatives who don't live in Brooklyn. Both adults decide to drive together to leave the girl with their relatives, but finally they realize that they have fallen in love with her. This is the beginnig of an unpredictable book full of stories and sense of humour.

THE BROOKLYN FOLLIES by Paul Auster

Here you can read Paul Auster's biography and visit the official website

A New York Times' article

SIMMILITUDES BETWEEN THE MAIN CHARACTERS There are similar chacteristics between the three main characters of the book, Nathan, Tom and Harry. The boook describes their solitude ans desperate search for identity in their own ways. All of them are alone, divorced or angry with their daughters or their sisters. Since the meeting between Nat and Tom, both of them are sure that they are entering in a new relation to each other. Although Nat, Tom and Harry are very similar in character, Harry is the most complex, he is full of contradictions and surprises. The thing that all of them have in common is the sense of humor, especially in terms of wordplay.

THE CHARACTERS NATHAN: he is the main character, he is a man in his sixties, depressed and negative person who thinks that his life has ended until his life suddenly changes. TOM: he is Nathan' nephew, he is a very depressed and idealistic person, who used to be a bright boy with a promising future, but has finally ended up working in a used books store. HARRY: is the most influential and the most ambiguos of the characters in the novel. Also he is a flamboyant homosexual and Tom's boss. LUCY: she's Tom' niece. She is nine years old, and appears one morning at Tom's door not saying any word. She is the reason why all the characters in the novel change.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS AURORA: She is the most liberal and changeable person in the novel, she is also careless. She's Rory, Tom's sister. NANCY: She is beautiful, and she is named the perfect woman in the novel, but unfortunately she is badly educated. HONEY: She is very intelligent and cultured. MARINA: is beautiful, submissive, nice and sympathetic. DAVID: He's Rory's husband. He is an integrist person, is a member of a fanatic religious cult clled the Temple of the Holly World, also is fanatic and obsessed. RUFUS: is sensitive and simple. RACHEL: is intelligent and spitefull.