Paul Auster, ‘The Book of Illusions’

There aren’t many authors who I consistently like and ‘’follow’’, but Paul Auster is one of them. I first read ‘’Oracle Night’’ on the recommendation of a friend from Book Club, and since then, if I do venture past the 2-for-1 section to the Proper Grownup Shelves (where you can only see the spines!), I know there’ll be at least one book I’ll like courtesy of this chap.

This novel bears all the trademarks of a good Auster – stories within stories; the power of coincidence; a cast haunted by the past. Briefly, it’s the story of a man who has lost his family in an air crash, who happens upon an old film by a forgotten silent movie star. Cue a series of coincidences, a chase across the country, and an everpresent feeling that All Is Not As It Seems. I’m not sure it’s his best – it certainly is a bit too long – but this is Quality writing with a capital Q.