I don't know why I'm registering this now when I've read only two of the three stories: City of Glass and Ghosts but not The Locked Room yet. I just am!

From the back cover: "In three brilliant variations on the classic detective story, Paul Auster makes the well-traversed terrain of New York City his own, as it becomes a strange, compelling landscape in which identities merge or fade and questions serve only to further obscure the truth. What emerges is an investigation into the art of storytelling, notions of identity and the very essence of language."

It certainly poses some interesting questions which could probably addle the brain if you let them. Me? I'm quite happy to appreciate the conundrum and move on .....

When you've nothing to say, say nothing!

I'm sitting here trying to write this journal entry and I have absolutely no idea what to put. I think perhaps I'm a little bit drunk from the intoxicating words that have been washing over me! I've decided to take the advice of the wise man and not attempt to comment .....

I hope the next reader adds something coherent :-)

Later: Have decided to give Tree-hugger first refusal on this one. If she hasn't already read it, I'm sure she'll want to!

Now in the waiting hands of Tree-hugger ... Enjoy!

Thanks for this Nu-Knees, looks right up my street.

I feel the same as Nu-Knees - this book is stunning but very hard to comment on!

These stories are kind of the opposite of conventional detective fiction, in that they start out lucid and get more confusing as they progress, until by the end it's wonderfully unclear what any of it means! That said, this book is probably a bit more accessible than some other postmodern fiction, and I didn't find it at all difficult to read - the writing was gorgeous, so I was very happy just to let it wash over me.

I have only just finished these stories, but I already feel that they will stick with me for a long time. I will remember how it felt to watch the apartment across the road in 'Ghosts', for example, it was depicted so vividly. The mood of the book is one of the most striking things about it, along with some of the ideas Auster discusses. Particularly the idea of the natural, universal language in 'City Of Glass' - with Peter Stillman jnr's broken speech, and Peter Stillman Snr musing on what an umbrella is called when it doesn't function as an umbrella - I don't think I'll forget those passages in a hurry. There were so many fascinating ideas in this book, and so many gorgeous turns of phrase.

I've only just put it down and will be going to bed mulling over the themes of identity and language. It's a very good book that leaves you thinking - not frustratedly trying to work out what happened, but happily musing on new thoughts. Highly recommended.

P.S. You know sometimes you keep hearing references to the same thing - Melville keeps cropping up everywhere! I guess I need to read some Melville...

Sending this to Stubee, as it's on his wishlist.

Thank you very much tree-hugger I look forward to reading this soon.