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Talking to Strangers: Selected Essays, Prefaces, and Other Writings, 1967-2017
Talking to Strangers is a freshly curated collection of prose, spanning fifty years of work and including famous as well as never-before-published early writings, from 2018 Man Booker Prize-finalist Paul Auster.
Beginning with a short philosophical meditation written when he was twenty and concluding with nine political pieces that take on such issues as homelessness, 9/11, and the link between soccer and war, the 44 pieces gathered in this volume offer a wide-ranging view of celebrated novelist Paul Auster's thoughts on a multitude of classic and contemporary writers, the high-wire exploits of Philippe Petit, how to improve life in New York City (in collaboration with visual artist Sophie Calle), and the long road he has traveled with his beloved manual typewriter.
While writing for the New York Review of Books and other publications in the mid-1970s, young poet Auster gained recognition as an astute literary critic with essays on Laura Riding, John Ashbery, Samuel Beckett, Franz Kafka, Paul Celan, and others. By the late seventies and early eighties, as the poet was transforming himself into a novelist, he maintained an active double life by continuing his work as a translator and editing the groundbreaking anthology, The Random House Book of Twentieth-Century Poetry. His prefaces to some of these books are included in Talking to Strangers, among them a heart-wrenching account of St�phane Mallarm�'s response to the death of his eight-year-old son, Anatole.
In recent years, Auster has pushed on with explorations into the work of American artists spanning various periods and disciplines: the notebooks of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the films of Jim Jarmusch, the writings of painter-collagist-illustrator Joe Brainard, and the three-hit shutout thrown by journeyman right-hander Terry Leach of the Mets. Also included here are several rediscovered works that were originally delivered in public: a 1982 lecture on Edgar Allan Poe, a 1999 blast against New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and one of the funniest introductions a poetry reading ever heard in the state of New Jersey.
A collection of soaring intelligence and deepest humanity, Talking to Strangers is an essential book by "the most distinguished American writer of [his] generation . . . indeed its only author . . . with any claim to greatness." (The Spectator)
Beginning with a short philosophical meditation written when he was twenty and concluding with nine political pieces that take on such issues as homelessness, 9/11, and the link between soccer and war, the 44 pieces gathered in this volume offer a wide-ranging view of celebrated novelist Paul Auster's thoughts on a multitude of classic and contemporary writers, the high-wire exploits of Philippe Petit, how to improve life in New York City (in collaboration with visual artist Sophie Calle), and the long road he has traveled with his beloved manual typewriter.
While writing for the New York Review of Books and other publications in the mid-1970s, young poet Auster gained recognition as an astute literary critic with essays on Laura Riding, John Ashbery, Samuel Beckett, Franz Kafka, Paul Celan, and others. By the late seventies and early eighties, as the poet was transforming himself into a novelist, he maintained an active double life by continuing his work as a translator and editing the groundbreaking anthology, The Random House Book of Twentieth-Century Poetry. His prefaces to some of these books are included in Talking to Strangers, among them a heart-wrenching account of St�phane Mallarm�'s response to the death of his eight-year-old son, Anatole.
In recent years, Auster has pushed on with explorations into the work of American artists spanning various periods and disciplines: the notebooks of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the films of Jim Jarmusch, the writings of painter-collagist-illustrator Joe Brainard, and the three-hit shutout thrown by journeyman right-hander Terry Leach of the Mets. Also included here are several rediscovered works that were originally delivered in public: a 1982 lecture on Edgar Allan Poe, a 1999 blast against New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and one of the funniest introductions a poetry reading ever heard in the state of New Jersey.
A collection of soaring intelligence and deepest humanity, Talking to Strangers is an essential book by "the most distinguished American writer of [his] generation . . . indeed its only author . . . with any claim to greatness." (The Spectator)
400 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2019
32 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Paul Auster
229 books12.1k followersPaul Auster was the bestselling author of 4 3 2 1, Bloodbath Nation, Baumgartner, The Book of Illusions, and The New York Trilogy, among many other works. In 2006 he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature. Among his other honors are the Prix Médicis Étranger for Leviathan, the Independent Spirit Award for the screenplay of Smoke, and the Premio Napoli for Sunset Park. In 2012, he was the first recipient of the NYC Literary Honors in the category of fiction. He was also a finalist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (The Book of Illusions), the PEN/Faulkner Award (The Music of Chance), the Edgar Award (City of Glass), and the Man Booker Prize (4 3 2 1). Auster was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His work has been translated into more than forty languages. He died at age seventy-seven in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 20, 2021
Paul Auster, you make my brain sing! These essays range from pieces on obscure (to me) writers, political commentary, personal reflections and more. But I got something out of each one of them. Auster has the remarkable ability to connect directly with his reader. As he says - "Every novel is an equal collaboration between the writer and the reader, and it is the only place in the world where two strangers can meet on terms of absolute intimacy." And for Auster that also applies to his essays.
May 12, 2019
Anyone who knows me knows that Paul Auster is one of my favourite writers. The thing with Auster, though, is that he runs either hot or cold. Either he publishes doggerel such as Timbuktu, a story that was narrated from a dog’s perspective, or he’s completely on fire, which is happily the case with most of his books. (One of my faves, and the book that really got me into him, is The Book of Illusions.) The thing with Auster is that he can pack dense material into the shortest of spaces — City of Glass may be a 100 page or so novella, but it feels like a book that runs triple that length. That approach has endeared me to this author. So, it was with great happiness that Picador sent me a galley copy of his new work, Talking to Strangers, without even me asking for it first. (Their publicists must know me too well.) And I’m glad they did for it is a breathtaking, stellar read of non-fiction.
The book is really a hodgepodge, a potpourri of literary criticism, prefaces to books, newspaper op-ed pieces, speeches and other bits that Auster has published in the last 50 years. There are more than 40 essays in total here. The book is largely chronological (at least by section), so you really get a sense how Auster’s writing has evolved during the time period the book covers. It’s neat to read his literary criticism from the 1970s and think of it as a bit on the pretentious side, and see just how much more of an accessible writer he became — largely from the ’80s onward. Talking to Strangers, then, really serves two purposes: it works as an extension of his most recent work, the autobiographical novel 4 3 2 1, which ends in the late 1960s, and as a primer for the sorts of things that Auster likes and champions.
Read the rest of the review here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
The book is really a hodgepodge, a potpourri of literary criticism, prefaces to books, newspaper op-ed pieces, speeches and other bits that Auster has published in the last 50 years. There are more than 40 essays in total here. The book is largely chronological (at least by section), so you really get a sense how Auster’s writing has evolved during the time period the book covers. It’s neat to read his literary criticism from the 1970s and think of it as a bit on the pretentious side, and see just how much more of an accessible writer he became — largely from the ’80s onward. Talking to Strangers, then, really serves two purposes: it works as an extension of his most recent work, the autobiographical novel 4 3 2 1, which ends in the late 1960s, and as a primer for the sorts of things that Auster likes and champions.
Read the rest of the review here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
January 5, 2020
Loved it. This is different than Auster’s other works I’ve read, but as a former English major and history of literature but, this is exactly what I wanted and needed. It was fascinating to hear Auster recount the histories of the last century’s most famous creators, and what he thought of their work.
May 18, 2019
This book was a great reading experience. It's a mix of different essay, each of them is engaging and interesting.
I like the style of writing of Paul Auster and this book is a good way to see how it evolved during the years.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC.
I like the style of writing of Paul Auster and this book is a good way to see how it evolved during the years.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC.
February 21, 2022
As I crunch through Auster, he remains my favorite author, and over the years, the more I read the more interested in his work I become. And this is no exception. Paul Auster writes about other authors that undoubtedly have inspired him through his prolific and long career. And so my list of want to reads has expanded, if only to dig further into the works of Auster, and hopefully expand my literary view to include more an more authors under the belt.
Talking to strangers is an odd and strange book, that is very much Paul Auster, and very much unlike him. It is a collection of essays, on both other authors, but also letters he has written, and memories and things on his mind. The final essay is my favorite, and without a doubt the reason to why he became an author, and why I have had my own aspirations of becoming an author. This isn't the first Auster one should read, or even second or third, but something you build up after reading multiple Austers.
(Note on translation): It's a good translation, and they bring in the spirit of Auster into the Danish language, however I do still want to read the English version one day
Talking to strangers is an odd and strange book, that is very much Paul Auster, and very much unlike him. It is a collection of essays, on both other authors, but also letters he has written, and memories and things on his mind. The final essay is my favorite, and without a doubt the reason to why he became an author, and why I have had my own aspirations of becoming an author. This isn't the first Auster one should read, or even second or third, but something you build up after reading multiple Austers.
(Note on translation): It's a good translation, and they bring in the spirit of Auster into the Danish language, however I do still want to read the English version one day
October 30, 2019
Unfortunately, my first Paul Auster book was "Invisible" and I couldn't finish it.
I was not inclined to read Auster afterwards, but this collection of short stories help him redeem himself in my eyes. I could see his breath and depth as an author and appreciate his love of NYC / Brooklyn plus his love of intriguing and different/odd people.
I am going to go to the Public Library and pick up his "Brooklyn Follies" as a result.
I was not inclined to read Auster afterwards, but this collection of short stories help him redeem himself in my eyes. I could see his breath and depth as an author and appreciate his love of NYC / Brooklyn plus his love of intriguing and different/odd people.
I am going to go to the Public Library and pick up his "Brooklyn Follies" as a result.
September 20, 2019
A collection of introductions, brief essays, and a few other pieces of prose. Auster is serious, reflective, and deeply insightful, but a lot of this book was inaccessible to me because I had never read the French authors that he writes about at length here.
I did love the pieces about New York--especially his advice to his daughter.
I did love the pieces about New York--especially his advice to his daughter.
June 5, 2021
Auster at his finest. A writer of the highest skill, showcasing his talents on a variety of different topics.
Outside of ~40 pages on a dense analysis of french poetry and a deep dive into Art Deco and Dadaism, this collection of works was engaging through and through.
Outside of ~40 pages on a dense analysis of french poetry and a deep dive into Art Deco and Dadaism, this collection of works was engaging through and through.
July 23, 2019
Some old some new..only 4 stars because i had read about half before in other collections. Still, its Auster and hes great
August 9, 2019
Auster clears his files, and his files are impressive.
August 20, 2021
An anthology of non-fiction snippets. The first half constitutes sweeping treatment of French writing and poetry not easily accessed. Worthwhile for that alone - the rest is less interesting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews