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riley_reeves's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
romina_etulain's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I did enjoy reading this book, however, I still believe the author could have given us a better ending to a marvelous story. Still cannot believe what happened. Even though the ending kinda destroyed this book atmosphere, I really recommend reading it
pandorave's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
pklawton's review
5.0
Paul Auster's "City of Glass" is a riveting exploration of identity that dares to question the very nature of the self. Are we merely a sum of our physical parts, or do we exist through the stories we tell?
Auster's novel plunges us into the disorienting journey of Daniel Quinn, a mystery writer whose life is upended by a wrong number that leads him into a bewildering case involving Peter Stillman, a man haunted by his father's grotesque experiments. As Quinn morphs into different identities, including that of Paul Auster himself, the narrative challenges us to consider how language and storytelling construct our sense of self.
Quinn’s shifting identities are not just disguises; they are total transformations, illustrating that identity is fluid and mutable. The novel’s self-referential nature and rich allusions, from Genesis to Don Quixote, amplify its existential questions, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths about the human condition.
Auster suggests that without language and coherent narratives, the self disintegrates. In a world increasingly obsessed with individualism and identity, "City of Glass" warns against the fragmentation of the self into multiple, disconnected personas, and that a unified narrative is essential for a coherent and meaningful life. Is this true tho? Take for example sociologist Dorothy Smith and her work in “The Every Day as Problematic”, where she demonstrates all the ways that our daily experiences are organized by broader social relations and institutions.
Quinn’s multiplicity of selves illustrates the disorienting effects of living in a world where coherent narratives are hard to maintain, a condition exacerbated by the complex and often oppressive social structures that individuals navigate daily.
Auster's novel is a polemic against the idea that we can endlessly reinvent ourselves without consequence, arguing instead for the necessity of a stable, albeit evolving, sense of identity.
Without such a foundation, the self risks dissolution, as poignantly demonstrated by Quinn's ultimate fate. "City of Glass" is a daring philosophical inquiry that compels us to rethink the essence of who we are.
Incredible book!
Auster's novel plunges us into the disorienting journey of Daniel Quinn, a mystery writer whose life is upended by a wrong number that leads him into a bewildering case involving Peter Stillman, a man haunted by his father's grotesque experiments. As Quinn morphs into different identities, including that of Paul Auster himself, the narrative challenges us to consider how language and storytelling construct our sense of self.
Quinn’s shifting identities are not just disguises; they are total transformations, illustrating that identity is fluid and mutable. The novel’s self-referential nature and rich allusions, from Genesis to Don Quixote, amplify its existential questions, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths about the human condition.
Auster suggests that without language and coherent narratives, the self disintegrates. In a world increasingly obsessed with individualism and identity, "City of Glass" warns against the fragmentation of the self into multiple, disconnected personas, and that a unified narrative is essential for a coherent and meaningful life. Is this true tho? Take for example sociologist Dorothy Smith and her work in “The Every Day as Problematic”, where she demonstrates all the ways that our daily experiences are organized by broader social relations and institutions.
Quinn’s multiplicity of selves illustrates the disorienting effects of living in a world where coherent narratives are hard to maintain, a condition exacerbated by the complex and often oppressive social structures that individuals navigate daily.
Auster's novel is a polemic against the idea that we can endlessly reinvent ourselves without consequence, arguing instead for the necessity of a stable, albeit evolving, sense of identity.
Without such a foundation, the self risks dissolution, as poignantly demonstrated by Quinn's ultimate fate. "City of Glass" is a daring philosophical inquiry that compels us to rethink the essence of who we are.
Incredible book!
sidneyterano's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
5.0
"What better portrait of a writer than to show a man who has been bewitched by books?"
That was fun! Auster's 'mystery' novel is not so much as a mystery as a sort of ode to Don Quixote in so much as imitation is flattery. Cervantes' work is directly mentioned and a character named Paul Auster (yeah you heard it) even gives a sort of theory about doubts concerning the book within the book in Don Quixote. The novel itself does something similar. In fact, the doubts concerning the identity of the author and identity, in general, are the main theme here.
The novel starts, for example, when the protagonist, a writer who writes detective novels under an assumed name - all about a detective named Max Work, mistakenly gets a call for Paul Auster, a detective. He ends up assuming the identity of this Paul Auster. Later he ends up trying to find this Paul Auster, the detective only to find a Paul Auster, the author - who btw is not the writer of this novel but a friend of his. Moreover, the protagonist's son shares the name with the man who called him.
There are other themes thrown in but Don Quixote's connection was quite impressive. The sentence I quoted at beginning of this review was said by Paul Auster, the writer about Don Quixote but this book itself could be said to be about a man driven to madness by books.
That was fun! Auster's 'mystery' novel is not so much as a mystery as a sort of ode to Don Quixote in so much as imitation is flattery. Cervantes' work is directly mentioned and a character named Paul Auster (yeah you heard it) even gives a sort of theory about doubts concerning the book within the book in Don Quixote. The novel itself does something similar. In fact, the doubts concerning the identity of the author and identity, in general, are the main theme here.
The novel starts, for example, when the protagonist, a writer who writes detective novels under an assumed name - all about a detective named Max Work, mistakenly gets a call for Paul Auster, a detective. He ends up assuming the identity of this Paul Auster. Later he ends up trying to find this Paul Auster, the detective only to find a Paul Auster, the author - who btw is not the writer of this novel but a friend of his. Moreover, the protagonist's son shares the name with the man who called him.
There are other themes thrown in but Don Quixote's connection was quite impressive. The sentence I quoted at beginning of this review was said by Paul Auster, the writer about Don Quixote but this book itself could be said to be about a man driven to madness by books.
ar33s's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
anixcour's review
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
schielekatze's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0