mayamcc's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“but lost chances are as much a part of life as chances taken, and a story cannot dwell on what might have been.”
this was an interesting take on the traditional detective novel, loved the links between the books (especially in the last one) and the fact that paul auster himself is a character. however, it got so tiring reading three whole books about people throwing away their lives. it made me very frustrated, even thinking about it now is too much… and for that reason my rating is probably lower than it should be.
this was an interesting take on the traditional detective novel, loved the links between the books (especially in the last one) and the fact that paul auster himself is a character. however, it got so tiring reading three whole books about people throwing away their lives. it made me very frustrated, even thinking about it now is too much… and for that reason my rating is probably lower than it should be.
ominousevent's review against another edition
Aha! It had been quite a while since I'd read any postmodern lit, and this was an enjoyable return. (Maybe a good warmup for House of Leaves, which is next in my from-the-library queue?)
City of Glass, the first book in the trilogy, is one of those books that had been on my list for so long I don't remember anything about how it got there. Happening to see the trilogy in one volume when I visited the library for something else (The Talented Mr Ripley, which is not irrelevant) was a blessing, as the intertextual links would not have been as easy to pick up on if I had read the books further apart in time. As it was, my uncertainty over whether something in The Locked Room was referring back to something in City of Glass came to a perfect end when I realised it was actually something in The Talented Mr Ripley I was thinking of. The refrigerator that appeared not long after could not have come at a better time.
This trilogy is clever and interesting and had very little emotional effect on me.
City of Glass, the first book in the trilogy, is one of those books that had been on my list for so long I don't remember anything about how it got there. Happening to see the trilogy in one volume when I visited the library for something else (The Talented Mr Ripley, which is not irrelevant) was a blessing, as the intertextual links would not have been as easy to pick up on if I had read the books further apart in time. As it was, my uncertainty over whether something in The Locked Room was referring back to something in City of Glass came to a perfect end when I realised it was actually something in The Talented Mr Ripley I was thinking of. The refrigerator that appeared not long after could not have come at a better time.
This trilogy is clever and interesting and had very little emotional effect on me.
kurtwombat's review against another edition
5.0
Usually the term TRILOGY means the continuation of a certain plot or the lives of certain characters for good or ill depending on whether the author actually has more story to unfold. Often it may be justified to toss around the accusation of a “money grab”. Sometimes however something greater is afoot. My favorite trilogy is John Dos Passos’ USA TRILOGY. Dos Passos mixes experimental techniques (interviews, song lyrics, headlines, stream of consciousness, character biographies—and this was in the ‘30’s) with straight narrative to achieve a greater impact than if he had carried along down a straight line. I have shambled through many trilogies since reading Dos Passos 25 years ago, but nothing came close to creating the same power and buzz for me until I read Paul Auster’s NEW YORK TRILOGY. Auster too seems to be creating his own techniques to tell his tale. Each of the three books is loosely structured as a detective story. Very quickly, the mystery changes…and then changes again. What seems straightforward slowly bends in different directions. You could read each novel and argue that you have read the same thing three times…or make the opposite argument as well. When I think of the books I see three giant arrows pointing toward an empty center. Not empty, but something I can’t yet see. Each book is from the point of view of it’s detective. They proceed logically but as what they seek starts to shift, so does their logical footing. Each book starts as a lark, but soon shudders into darkness. Is this darkness the absence of love…or the penalty of imposing order on chaos…or even the personal hell awaiting writers facing blank sheets? Auster’s creation is marvelous. It seems kindred to Dos Passos and at the same time existing in a world we haven’t caught up to yet.
cjeanne99's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Three interconnected stories - when I finished I found myself thinking - very clever Mr. Austér. I had trouble connecting with the storyline of Ghosts - but the other two were enjoyable reads.
cesar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A Trilogia de Nova York constrói histórias interessantes e cheias de referências, mistérios e um entrelaçamento entre as três partes que leva a uma grande reflexão.
Ainda digerindo tudo o que li, mas com certeza é uma obra incrível.
Ainda digerindo tudo o que li, mas com certeza é uma obra incrível.
zhengyuct's review against another edition
5.0
If you like mysterious story without a clear answer but leave infinite space for you to think and reflect, if you are intrigued by the daily incidences a city can possibly provide, this is the book you should never miss. It is not a book to give you answer. It is a book you have to search for it inside. It is a book that probably don't have an answer.
suvaznudli's review against another edition
4.0
Všechny tři novely trilogie mají hlavního hrdinu, který se plně ponoří do práce, kterou ve skutečnosti nemá dělat nebo je naprosto zbytečná. Všechny tři příběhy jsou lehce detektivní, ale vzhledem k tomu, po čem hrdina pátrá a co je cílem celé práce, nelze mluvit o detektivce. Všechny tři hrdiny jejich práce pohltí, oddělí od dosavadního života a uvrhne do stavu hluboké deprese hraničící s šílenstvím. Jako bonus pro vytrvalého čtenáře je tu i podivný konec.
Napsané je to výborně, hvězdičku ubírám jen za nudné pasáže s citacemi Miltona apod.
Napsané je to výborně, hvězdičku ubírám jen za nudné pasáže s citacemi Miltona apod.
frederikmols's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25