What do you think?
Rate this book
زندگی در روایت: پل آستر در گفتوگو با آی. بی. زیگومفلت
An inside look into Paul Auster's art and craft, the inspirations and obsessions, mesmerizing and dramatic in turn.
A remarkably candid, and often surprisingly dramatic, investigation into one writer's art, craft, and life, A Life in Words is rooted in three years of dialogue between Auster and Professor I. B. Siegumfeldt, starting in 2011, while Siegumfeldt was in the process of launching the Center for Paul Auster Studies at the University of Copenhagen. It includes a number of surprising disclosures, both concerning Auster's work and about the art of writing generally. It is a book that's full of surprises, unscripted yet amounting to a sharply focused portrait of the inner workings of one of America's most productive and successful writers, through all twenty-one of Auster's narrative works and the themes and obsessions that drive them.
A remarkably candid, and often surprisingly dramatic, investigation into one writer's art, craft, and life, A Life in Words is rooted in three years of dialogue between Auster and Professor I. B. Siegumfeldt, starting in 2011, while Siegumfeldt was in the process of launching the Center for Paul Auster Studies at the University of Copenhagen. It includes a number of surprising disclosures, both concerning Auster's work and about the art of writing generally. It is a book that's full of surprises, unscripted yet amounting to a sharply focused portrait of the inner workings of one of America's most productive and successful writers, through all twenty-one of Auster's narrative works and the themes and obsessions that drive them.
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2017
21 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Paul Auster
229 books12.2k 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 28, 2021
“Ho inventato storie popolate da esseri immaginari. E questi personaggi mi sopravvivranno. È un pensiero strano. Come spiega il narratore, senza l’autore non siamo niente, ma il paradosso è che noi, le creature inventate dalla mente di un altro, vivremo più a lungo della mente che ci ha fatto, perché una volta gettate nel mondo continuiamo a esistere per sempre, e le nostre storie continuano a essere raccontate anche quando siamo morte.”
Nel corso di queste brevi interviste, divise in due parti in cui la prima racchiude i suoi testi autobiografici e la seconda i romanzi d’invenzione, Paul Auster si apre ai lettori, si mette a nudo raccontando le vicende di ognuno dei suoi testi e cosa le ha ispirate.
Parte da fatti concreti di trama per poi sviscerare le tematiche che ne hanno permesso la creazione e lo sviluppo, fino al divenire i personaggi e le storie dei libri che abbiamo amato.
Le interviste seguono una linea temporale fino ad arrivare al 2012, anno in cui sono state condotte. I. B. Siegumfeldt dialoga con Auster facendo anche congetture su ciò che alcuni eventi accaduti dei libri significano, facendolo anche riflettere talvolta su cose a cui lui stesso non aveva pensato. Infatti, dichiara che spesso le cose che accadono (nella vita come nei libri) non hanno per forza un significato, ma siamo noi che ci sforziamo per attribuirglielo, perché siamo linguaggio e quindi siamo significato e viviamo di esso.
Ma spesso quando scrive lui lascia che siano i personaggi stessi e la loro personalità a guidarlo e ad agire, lui è solo un mezzo tramite il cui la storia possa essere raccontata.
Inoltre, ci racconta che alcune tematiche a lui care, che ricorrono spesso sia nei testi autobiografici che nei romanzi, derivano da esperienze della sua vita come ad esempio il lutto, la perdita, la fuga, la vecchiaia, l’amicizia, l’amore.
Personalmente ho amato scoprire tutto ciò che sta sotto ai suoi scritti, ma se tornassi indietro probabilmente aspetterei di aver letto più libri suoi prima di approcciarmi a questo, per capirlo ed apprezzarlo meglio.
Ogni volta che leggerò un suo libro ci ritornerò per scoprire cose che ad una prima lettura non si notano.
Nel corso di queste brevi interviste, divise in due parti in cui la prima racchiude i suoi testi autobiografici e la seconda i romanzi d’invenzione, Paul Auster si apre ai lettori, si mette a nudo raccontando le vicende di ognuno dei suoi testi e cosa le ha ispirate.
Parte da fatti concreti di trama per poi sviscerare le tematiche che ne hanno permesso la creazione e lo sviluppo, fino al divenire i personaggi e le storie dei libri che abbiamo amato.
Le interviste seguono una linea temporale fino ad arrivare al 2012, anno in cui sono state condotte. I. B. Siegumfeldt dialoga con Auster facendo anche congetture su ciò che alcuni eventi accaduti dei libri significano, facendolo anche riflettere talvolta su cose a cui lui stesso non aveva pensato. Infatti, dichiara che spesso le cose che accadono (nella vita come nei libri) non hanno per forza un significato, ma siamo noi che ci sforziamo per attribuirglielo, perché siamo linguaggio e quindi siamo significato e viviamo di esso.
Ma spesso quando scrive lui lascia che siano i personaggi stessi e la loro personalità a guidarlo e ad agire, lui è solo un mezzo tramite il cui la storia possa essere raccontata.
Inoltre, ci racconta che alcune tematiche a lui care, che ricorrono spesso sia nei testi autobiografici che nei romanzi, derivano da esperienze della sua vita come ad esempio il lutto, la perdita, la fuga, la vecchiaia, l’amicizia, l’amore.
Personalmente ho amato scoprire tutto ciò che sta sotto ai suoi scritti, ma se tornassi indietro probabilmente aspetterei di aver letto più libri suoi prima di approcciarmi a questo, per capirlo ed apprezzarlo meglio.
Ogni volta che leggerò un suo libro ci ritornerò per scoprire cose che ad una prima lettura non si notano.
September 14, 2024
What a better way to discover Paul Auster’s books and understand how and why he wrote them. I have always felt fascinated by his writing style but now I understand so much better his style and narrative. Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to understand more about his essence. I’m definitely a huge fan.
Read
February 26, 2024اگر به خود پل آستر علاقه داشته باشید کتاب جذاب تر میشه براتون ولی علاقه نداشتن به پل آستر یا نخوندن کارهاش هم باعث نمیشه که نتونید چیزهایی از این کتاب بگیرید و لذت خوندنش رو نبرید...بیشتر ماجرا درباره نوشتن و فرایند هایی که طی میشه هست و این قسمت جذابش برام بود و از سمت دیگه خب نگاه پل آستر به نوشتن و ادبیات هم برام جالب بود
September 5, 2020
Sometimes, Siegumfeldt is definitely being (annoyingly) over-analytical, but perhaps that is her inevitable occupational hazard. Notes to self: read Oracle Night and Travels in the Scriptorium, and reread Leviathan and Invisible.
-
'It's something you try to do, but ... you can never crack the mystery of a human being' (14)
'Without the pen in my hand, I don't have the same thoughts. Curious.' (59)
'As I've said in the past, my ideal would be to write a book so transparent that the reader would forget that the medium is language and take in the narrative as pure experience.' (141)
'When I sat down to work that day, I had no idea it was going to happen. Suddenly, he puts it in his pocket. It was almost as if Nashe did it himself and I was just writing it down.' (151)
'The most important sentence in a book is the first sentence. Everything follows from it. The first words have to stop the reader in his tracks and tell him that he's in a different place now, that he's entered the world of the book' (203)
-
'It's something you try to do, but ... you can never crack the mystery of a human being' (14)
'Without the pen in my hand, I don't have the same thoughts. Curious.' (59)
'As I've said in the past, my ideal would be to write a book so transparent that the reader would forget that the medium is language and take in the narrative as pure experience.' (141)
'When I sat down to work that day, I had no idea it was going to happen. Suddenly, he puts it in his pocket. It was almost as if Nashe did it himself and I was just writing it down.' (151)
'The most important sentence in a book is the first sentence. Everything follows from it. The first words have to stop the reader in his tracks and tell him that he's in a different place now, that he's entered the world of the book' (203)
August 2, 2020
"Una vida en palabras: Conversaciones con I. B. Siegumfeldt" no es precisamente un libro escrito por Paul Auster, pero es un viaje a todos ellos. Desde el 2011, existió un hermoso diálogo entre Paul Auster y una profesora danesa llamada I. B. Siegumfeldt, en donde charlaron de un montón de cosas. Lo que no se esperaron, es que el diálogo iba a seguir fluyendo por cinco años, en donde hablaron acerca del oficio, el arte y la vida de Auster. Está excelentemente documentado, y es el libro ideal para aquellos que quieren saber un poco más acerca de cada una de las novelas del escritor. Lamentablemente, en Argentina no se editó este libro, y por eso lo tuve que leer en ebook (fue mi única lectura de Auster fuera del papel, perdón Paul). Si les gusta Auster, traten de conseguirlo aunque sea en digital. Van a encontrarse con muchas anécdotas y sorpresas dentro del proceso creativo de cada novela escrita, así como también de lecciones que solo la literatura nos puede enseñar. Es un hermoso libro sobre el arte de escribir, sobre cómo seguir viviendo después de haber escrito lo que pensaste que fue tu obra maestra. Es un libro muy ameno, de preguntas y respuestas, con momentos cómicos, graciosos, y reflexivos también. Ya me voy quedando sin libros de Auster para reseñar (tengo dos todavía, pero finalmente son los últimos últimos dos).
August 20, 2018
Un libro fascinante que trata de cosas como la vida y la muerte, la fragmentación de nosotros mismos, de espacios en blanco que siempre se quedan sin cubrirse. De la capacidad humana de recrearse y de salir adelante mismo sin saber exactamente donde llegar.
Pero principalmente se trata de un elogio a la comunicación verbal, inspira y hace despertar nuestro "yo narrativo". En suma, como él mismo Paul Auster dice: "proviene de un impulso básico de compartir la extraña manera en que se entrecruzan los acontecimientos del mundo."
Pero principalmente se trata de un elogio a la comunicación verbal, inspira y hace despertar nuestro "yo narrativo". En suma, como él mismo Paul Auster dice: "proviene de un impulso básico de compartir la extraña manera en que se entrecruzan los acontecimientos del mundo."
August 9, 2019
Un libro exquisito sobre el oficio de escribir: la lucha con las palabras, la imposibilidad de encerrar el mundo en ellas y la impotencia de sentirse siempre fracasado después del punto final. Hermosa conversación con la la profesora I.B Siegumfeldt.
November 2, 2017
An erudite foray into the body of work of one of our most innovative novelists. If you've read Auster's canon, read this book for more insight and enjoyment. Highly recommended!
January 20, 2024
In the prologue to A Life in Words, Auster forthrightly admits that the reason he agreed to the series of interview presented within is that Siegemfuldt agreed to ask only questions in the line of what, when, and where, as opposed to trickier ones in the line of why and how, which prompts some concern about how, exactly, the discussion will meaningfully be able to touch on his craft as promised by the front-flap copy (the discussion of his art and life likewise promised seems more manageable given those restrictions). It is the first sign of the level of control that Auster seeks to impose on this project, generally in an equally open manner. Siegemfuldt ultimately asks mostly question in the “Do” and “Is” mold, seeking validation of theories and usually getting it (one often wonders if Auster is just saying yes to end the line of inquiry, though the occasions when he says no are equally effective at doing so), resulting in a series of brief questions that don’t necessarily build on each other to the degree that one might hope (there are also occasions where Siegemfuldt’s questioning seems to fail to take into account a previous reply, as if she were committed to a certain line in advance), thus resisting depth past a certain point.
(It is rather tempting to think of Auster’s involvement in the collaboration, with its parameters and questionable truth, as being to some degree another game or trick of his; he would likely resent either word being applied to what he does, but he also responds in this book to a theory that all of his works labeled as nonfiction are really novels in disguise, saying that they are completely true, while going on to contradict their contents in places.)
Nevertheless, even when the conversations stayed near the surface, regarding the details and themes Auster’s life and his work, they were often interesting and enjoyable, both when I had read the book being discussed and when I hadn’t (and even though I was not often given new insight in the case of the former or newly interested in the case of the latter). I especially found a lot of material useful to think about as a writer, with respect to considerations for future writing, and some of Auster’s most interesting insights are on writing generally, as if, despite the nature of the exercise, he was loath to talk about it in the specific context of his own oeuvre (and it is, in a way, nice that he doesn’t talk more about specifics from his work, as on occasions where he does, his ideas and reasoning can be disappointingly simple or lazy); when he is willing to dig into his own work—and not duck behind a typical response that a choice came to him naturally and without thought, conscious or otherwise (which again can smack of disingenuousness, not in that he thinks such a response will make him look better but perhaps as if this will allow him not to discuss the choice further, or as if he is maybe disappointed in the legibility of his intention)—it is interesting to note his successes and failures in conveying certain ideas, and that certain connections came into existence unbeknownst to him, just as it is interesting to see how the thought processes that consciously drove his writing sometimes ended up at odds with the final product (with him apparently remaining unaware of it), as if the work ultimately insisted on refuting the mastery of author over material. Perhaps it is even Auster’s recognition of the limits of control of any author that makes him feel as if it’s not his place to speak too much to the results.
(It is rather tempting to think of Auster’s involvement in the collaboration, with its parameters and questionable truth, as being to some degree another game or trick of his; he would likely resent either word being applied to what he does, but he also responds in this book to a theory that all of his works labeled as nonfiction are really novels in disguise, saying that they are completely true, while going on to contradict their contents in places.)
Nevertheless, even when the conversations stayed near the surface, regarding the details and themes Auster’s life and his work, they were often interesting and enjoyable, both when I had read the book being discussed and when I hadn’t (and even though I was not often given new insight in the case of the former or newly interested in the case of the latter). I especially found a lot of material useful to think about as a writer, with respect to considerations for future writing, and some of Auster’s most interesting insights are on writing generally, as if, despite the nature of the exercise, he was loath to talk about it in the specific context of his own oeuvre (and it is, in a way, nice that he doesn’t talk more about specifics from his work, as on occasions where he does, his ideas and reasoning can be disappointingly simple or lazy); when he is willing to dig into his own work—and not duck behind a typical response that a choice came to him naturally and without thought, conscious or otherwise (which again can smack of disingenuousness, not in that he thinks such a response will make him look better but perhaps as if this will allow him not to discuss the choice further, or as if he is maybe disappointed in the legibility of his intention)—it is interesting to note his successes and failures in conveying certain ideas, and that certain connections came into existence unbeknownst to him, just as it is interesting to see how the thought processes that consciously drove his writing sometimes ended up at odds with the final product (with him apparently remaining unaware of it), as if the work ultimately insisted on refuting the mastery of author over material. Perhaps it is even Auster’s recognition of the limits of control of any author that makes him feel as if it’s not his place to speak too much to the results.
November 16, 2020
Paul Auster is a well-known American author. We know this!
I have read none of his books. I have often wondered what the thoughts of famous authors are. What do they think? How do they feel about their books? How do they deal with labels, and with critics?
Professor Siegumfeldt is an associate professor of English, Germanic, and Romance studies at the University of Copenhagen.
She behind the university’s upcoming Paul Auster centre.
When I read about this, I thought it may be a good idea to read a book that comprises interviews with Mr Auster.
Getting into the mind of a person like Paul Auster may be a creative way in getting a basic understanding of his writings, before I read them.
She has divided the book into two broad sections.
The first comprises interviews around his autobiographical work.
The second consists or interviews revolving around his novels.
She starts each interview with a quote from the book she is interviewing about. I like this, because it gave me a flavour of his writing.
For instance, a gem from The Leviathan.
“No one can say where a book comes from, least of all the person who writes it.”
In his conversation with Prof Siegumfeldt on Sunset Park, he says:
“The music of each book is different from the music of every other book.”
A skilled interviewer draws out the best in the interviewee. I.B. Siegumfeldt has done an excellent job.
I enjoyed her conversations with Paul Auster.
Her familiarity with his work helps.
She poses questions and then allows Paul Auster to talk. She teased out a few interesting points, like his distaste for labels. Labels are the preserve of critics and the public. They serve as a useful hook on which to hang your clothes, but they can also obscure your understanding of a subject.
Paul Auster seems to draw inspiration from the events of his life, his family, political events and society at large. He has firm views, even though he expresses them with restraint and grace.
The book has piqued my curiosity about Paul Auster and his work. I will go further. The book has made me decide on reading some of his books. It has helped me pick the ones I want to start with.
This is an excellent book, especially if you have read none of his work; and are wondering where to start.
I have read none of his books. I have often wondered what the thoughts of famous authors are. What do they think? How do they feel about their books? How do they deal with labels, and with critics?
Professor Siegumfeldt is an associate professor of English, Germanic, and Romance studies at the University of Copenhagen.
She behind the university’s upcoming Paul Auster centre.
When I read about this, I thought it may be a good idea to read a book that comprises interviews with Mr Auster.
Getting into the mind of a person like Paul Auster may be a creative way in getting a basic understanding of his writings, before I read them.
She has divided the book into two broad sections.
The first comprises interviews around his autobiographical work.
The second consists or interviews revolving around his novels.
She starts each interview with a quote from the book she is interviewing about. I like this, because it gave me a flavour of his writing.
For instance, a gem from The Leviathan.
“No one can say where a book comes from, least of all the person who writes it.”
In his conversation with Prof Siegumfeldt on Sunset Park, he says:
“The music of each book is different from the music of every other book.”
A skilled interviewer draws out the best in the interviewee. I.B. Siegumfeldt has done an excellent job.
I enjoyed her conversations with Paul Auster.
Her familiarity with his work helps.
She poses questions and then allows Paul Auster to talk. She teased out a few interesting points, like his distaste for labels. Labels are the preserve of critics and the public. They serve as a useful hook on which to hang your clothes, but they can also obscure your understanding of a subject.
Paul Auster seems to draw inspiration from the events of his life, his family, political events and society at large. He has firm views, even though he expresses them with restraint and grace.
The book has piqued my curiosity about Paul Auster and his work. I will go further. The book has made me decide on reading some of his books. It has helped me pick the ones I want to start with.
This is an excellent book, especially if you have read none of his work; and are wondering where to start.
December 22, 2019
If it weren't for the almost complete glossing over Auster's poetical beginnings, this long series of clever interchange between our hero and the younger Siegumfeldt would have been a strong 5 stars.
Anyway, everything they discuss is always on point and well, not much else to say.
If you're searching for some insight from the very author, just read it and you won't regret it.
Anyway, everything they discuss is always on point and well, not much else to say.
If you're searching for some insight from the very author, just read it and you won't regret it.
September 7, 2023
Es interesante si te gusta Paul Auster y conoces su literatura. Son conversaciones de la periodista con Auster sobre su obra, sus personajes, sus motivaciones, su vida, lo que plasma en sus libros, ... Si no conoces la obra también se puede leer, pero creo que se pierden muchos detalles.
October 24, 2017
Especially rewarding and insightful, naturally, if you're already a fan of Auster's and his work. But even if you're not, some pearls of wisdom are in store for you.
January 4, 2018
Erudite discussion of Auster's work. IBS is a sensitive and probing questioner. Although I read these many moons ago and missed the details, I still found the discussions worthwhile.
February 1, 2018
If you're a big fan of Paul Auster, as I am, you just want to read again all his books when you finish this one!
June 12, 2018
Dive deep into the Auster universe
June 16, 2018
Tak. A po týchto rozhovoroch je isté, že budem čítať novely a autobiografie Paula Austera rada donekonečna a dokola.
February 17, 2021
Paul Auster è un essere umano meraviglioso
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews