author follows a grim description of a bout with the crabs with a paean to nature that begins, "Ladybugs were considered good luck." Auster indulges in the occasional rant--he goes off on the crudities of contemporary culture--and delivers numerous moments of artful craft. A consummate professional explores the attic of his life, converting rumination to art.

The Washington Post

In turns contemplative, pugnacious and achingly tender, Auster, who may be one of the most imaginative writers living and working in America today, gives us a blow-by-blow account of his collision with life—a chronicle of scars, fears, deaths and afflictions that have hounded him to his promontory of 64 years. That he manages to plumb memory all the way to universal bedrock is a credit to his artistry. By the endof this hallucinatory journey, he is likely to have told something of your story as well.
—Marie Arana

Publishers Weekly

In this captivating memoir, Auster tells his own story, recalling early years, travels, his first marriage and child, and various family deaths. Finally, he turns his attention to his glamorous and lonely mother and his second wife, novelist and essayist Siri Hustvedt. In a steady voice with a slight New Jersey accent, Auster himself narrates this audio edition. His voice is thoughtful and intense, and he reads at a steady clip, enunciating each word carefully and employing a perfect French accent when needed. Auster's voice and his story are mesmerizing; listeners will not be disappointed. A Holt hardcover.

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Paul Auster is the bestselling author of Sunset