Baumgartner

Sue B:

I read it really quickly so maybe I didn’t find it so slow as a result! I had quite a soft spot for the “old” boy - when you shut yourself away for a long time, you do age much quicker ! It was a very slow look into the human condition of love, loss, being lost, searching and not really finding, disappointment, hope, possibilities etc etc - an odd little book really about real life for someone whose lonely perhaps and life has stopped in a way …. But that doesn’t make for a riveting read.

Helen M:

I couldn't get on with Baumgartner it was too slow for me . I didn't like it being written in the third person ,it didn't work for me. I get it that grieving for Anna was like a phantom limb but I just didn't take to him and want really interested in what he was doing.

Carol:

I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, even found them amusing but then the rot set in. So disjointed. I really did not like this book.

Gillian:

I took ages to get into the book. I found the chapters way too long and found myself loosing interest. Nothing seemed to happen and it was very disjointed! Like Eli I was determined to finish it so was very pleased when I did!

Eli:

I really expected something to happen, but sadly it didn't, also irritated that a 72 year old was a very old man as I happen to be 72,and don't feel a bit old. Sorry - I can't find anything positive to say.

Ros:

Beautifully written but lacked enough story for me. I have to confess to not finishing the book. This is unusual for me as I usually try all books. I found the book very hard work. There was no real story line apart from Sy’s grief which was endless. I kept hoping something would happen, pick up. I skimmed.

Our Book group found this a disappointing read on the whole.
We felt there was good use of English throughout, but we began to get quite bored with the 10yr meltdown and grief of Sy. several skimmed to the end of the book as they felt was disappointed that the storyline was stuck in a rut and we are left dangling and waiting for Sy to get on with it which he did leaving us with a very abrupt ending.Maybe not the book to read over a busy Christmas period.

I have just finished reading the Paul Auster book, "Baumgartner", and enjoyed it very much although I didn't like the rather abrupt and somewhat unsatisfactory ending. Although nothing much happens in the story, it is very engaging, beautifully written story with a poignant character study.

(3.5 stars because I was disappointed with the ending).

- Tracy
Chatburn Book Chat

I thought it was interesting how the aftermath of a pivotal moment in Baumgartner's life was dealt with. The ripples caused by Anna's death, the insight into love and grief. The novel was written in an unusual style; the elongated sentences helped the reader to glimpse into the thought process of the main character. I found the insights into the history and culture of the Jewish family enlightening. It left me with a sense of how the man thought, felt and related to the world. He was quite self-effacing and I enjoyed his reflections into his past relationships. The only thing I found a bit difficult was the concepts from the book " The Mysteries of the Wheel" and I had to grapple to get to grips with what that meant.( I would be glad to know what the other readers thoughts on that when we are next in group. ) The novel was unusual in style but dealt with the concepts of life and death in a way that I feel we could all relate to.

- Wendy
Chatburn Book Chat

What a sentimental and incredibly sweet story. I absolutely loved it. A very well written book and the characters are wonderful, from Ed at the beginning to Baumgartner throughout. You feel sad for Baumgartner but as the story progresses, you feel happy for him. I liked how he had another focus at the end of the book.

The book made me think of how places and objects can recall memories of people and loved ones from the past, and how these are priceless.

- BS
Chatburn Book Chat

I liked the book very much. It felt like Baumgartner was telling you his own life story but it is written in the third person; it felt so personal and I wonder if the story does incorporate some of the author’s own real experiences. It sounds like an older man recounting his life and I noticed that Paul Auster is now in his seventies too. I enjoyed the descriptive language used by the author and especially loved the poem about the flower (the little red dot).

My husband read this book after me but said he found the style of writing difficult to read (a lot of clauses and not many full stops) but this wasn’t an issue for me. He liked the story too.

- CK
Chatburn Book Chat

What a wonderful book! Oh, how it must feel to love like that and to be loved like that. It’s something that happens only once in a lifetime I feel. I enjoyed the book very much and related to so much of it – it’s life really! But to be able to write about it in such a way that keeps your interest is wonderful. It was an easy and quick read once you get over the lack of full stops.

- MK
Chatburn Book Chat

This was my first encounter with Paul Auster books. Initially I found the sentence construction difficult to read so I decided to have a sneaky listen to a sample of the audio book (which is read by Auster himself – he has a lovely voice). This helped me to understand how he writes and from then on it was plain sailing.

I really loved this book. I can’t actually say why, as it is simply about ordinary life and love found and lost, but Auster’s writing is a joy. Some of his descriptions and observations are wonderful. It was a real ‘feel good’ book without it being a romance novel and I was hooked from the early pages. It kept me engaged to the very end but I have to admit, I’m disappointed by the ending – for me it was a bit cryptic; I also wanted more…to know more about Anna’s writings, to know how his meeting with Bebe was going to turn out.

I am definitely going to seek out some of Auster’s other works and hope they are as good as this. I would also highly recommend the audio version of this book based on the sample.

- Helena
Chatburn Book Chat

I've read lots of Paul Auster's work and Baumgartner is a lovely reminder of his easy, readable style. This makes all his novels page turners because there's nothing unnecessary and they're really approachable. The story could have been depressing because he's an older man remembering what he lost in the tragic accident that killed his wife but Auster makes it a real love letter. It's not soppy but seeing that love from almost the 1st person (it's not but you really do feel that you are in his head) makes you think of all the people you love and how you should tell them more often. I didn't want it to end because there's a whole story about how he may share his wife's literary work with a researcher who loved her from this aspect but maybe that would takeaway the love story element. I loved it.
Review by GH