Scan barcode
butterfly2507's review against another edition
2.0
Hm. Was war denn der Sinn bei diesem Buch? Paul Auster's Gedankengänge? Wow. Naja war nicht ganz so mein Ding. Leider.
nuska's review against another edition
4.0
"The world is a prison for those who have nothing, the have-nots at the bottom of the pile are no better than dogs, and whether a man works on a chain gang or is gainfully employed by the Tri-State Engineering Company, he has no control over his existence". (162).
"The world is in my head. My body is in the world". (192).
"Words become indistinguishable from gestures. The mime and the orator merge. And the writer, darkening his page with ink, becomes a painter...". (202).
"People were (are), taught to think in terms of abstract ideas. So, for instance, today, very scientific sociological studies can be conducted to determine the efficiency of workers during certain hours of the day, etc. This is dehumanization -for now one doesn't have a man for so many hours, but so many hours of man- as if he were a machine". (212 - 213).
A very interesting continuation of Paul Auster's memories started with Winter Journal but much more interesting this time, for the first part was about his physical experiences, while this one is about the interior of the writer's mind: a report from the interior. Very glad to discover that Auster was as amazed as I was the first time he watched I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (which, by the way, I strongly recommend).
"The world is in my head. My body is in the world". (192).
"Words become indistinguishable from gestures. The mime and the orator merge. And the writer, darkening his page with ink, becomes a painter...". (202).
"People were (are), taught to think in terms of abstract ideas. So, for instance, today, very scientific sociological studies can be conducted to determine the efficiency of workers during certain hours of the day, etc. This is dehumanization -for now one doesn't have a man for so many hours, but so many hours of man- as if he were a machine". (212 - 213).
A very interesting continuation of Paul Auster's memories started with Winter Journal but much more interesting this time, for the first part was about his physical experiences, while this one is about the interior of the writer's mind: a report from the interior. Very glad to discover that Auster was as amazed as I was the first time he watched I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (which, by the way, I strongly recommend).
lauranoonz's review against another edition
4.0
I had a great time reading this book. I've been curious about Paul Auster for many years, and this was my first Paul Auster.After reading this book I am even more keen to read more of his work, starting with Winter Journal.
The book can be divided into 3 distinct parts, the childhood, the two films, and the letters from his young adult years. I much preferred the accounts of his childhood, it was insightful, delicate but also quite funny at times.The other two parts were also quite interesting but I was more blown away by the first part and the narrative during the middle bit (the films) dragged on for a bit.
Still, a very enjoyable book, that i was sad to finish, thankfully there's Winter Journal!
The book can be divided into 3 distinct parts, the childhood, the two films, and the letters from his young adult years. I much preferred the accounts of his childhood, it was insightful, delicate but also quite funny at times.The other two parts were also quite interesting but I was more blown away by the first part and the narrative during the middle bit (the films) dragged on for a bit.
Still, a very enjoyable book, that i was sad to finish, thankfully there's Winter Journal!
pauloandre's review against another edition
3.0
I've been very much in love with Auster's prose ever since I first took the plunge and read «Sunset Park», feeling it served as a perfect introduction to the author. In the meantime, I've read another half dozen of his novels, including «The New York Trilogy», «Men In The Dark», «Leviathan» and «Invisible». Even though there is obviously a running thread in terms of style, it never felt dull or repetitive. Auster's writing is some of the most fluid I've come across in years.
When someone inspires me, in any art form, and crosses some sort of threshold within my mind, I tend to get interested in the person behind the works I love and to understand what makes them tick. So reading some of Auster's non-fiction was a no brainer and, perhaps something to do with age, he has been writing some of his memoirs as of late. I've read «Winter Journal» and enjoyed it - though not as much as his acclaimed fiction. The style was there but it just didn't engage me as much. Yet I liked it enough to have no second thoughts about picking up «Report From The Interior» when it came out.
Auster seems unable to write a bad book per se, but something about «Report From The Interior» keeps it a good few notches below everything else I've read from him. I wonder whether I would have felt the same had I not read «Winter Journal» prior to it, but there's just something about its structure that made it seem unfinished, somehow not entirely consolidated. However, truth be told, I wondered often times during the reading of this book how hard it must be to recount your childhood and adolescence memories when over half a century has elapsed from the facts. I put myself in Auster's shoes and try to recall my own memories and everything seems disjointed, just scraps that would be a nightmare for me to compile into something coherent. To that degree, Auster's book is pretty much an achievement.
Keeping the interesting, if sometimes awkward, second-person discourse from «Winter Journal», the aptly titled «Report From The Interior» is essentially divided in three parts: the first, telling some of his earlier memories the way he remembers them, is akin to «Winter Journal», however centered on his mind and perception of the world rather than his body and how it changed. The second, where he describes at length two movies that made a strong impression on him which, incidentally, is the strongest, most engaging section of the book. And the third, where he recounts some of his adolescence by directly transcribing a lot of the letters he wrote to the girl he loved at the time - and who would then go on to become his (former) wife.
In a word, I felt detached from Auster's musings for the best part of «Report From The Interior», even if it kept me going, never thinking of putting it down and forgetting about it. And that's the problem of great authors and sky-high standards. A good book of their simply feels lukewarm. You invariably expect a great one.
When someone inspires me, in any art form, and crosses some sort of threshold within my mind, I tend to get interested in the person behind the works I love and to understand what makes them tick. So reading some of Auster's non-fiction was a no brainer and, perhaps something to do with age, he has been writing some of his memoirs as of late. I've read «Winter Journal» and enjoyed it - though not as much as his acclaimed fiction. The style was there but it just didn't engage me as much. Yet I liked it enough to have no second thoughts about picking up «Report From The Interior» when it came out.
Auster seems unable to write a bad book per se, but something about «Report From The Interior» keeps it a good few notches below everything else I've read from him. I wonder whether I would have felt the same had I not read «Winter Journal» prior to it, but there's just something about its structure that made it seem unfinished, somehow not entirely consolidated. However, truth be told, I wondered often times during the reading of this book how hard it must be to recount your childhood and adolescence memories when over half a century has elapsed from the facts. I put myself in Auster's shoes and try to recall my own memories and everything seems disjointed, just scraps that would be a nightmare for me to compile into something coherent. To that degree, Auster's book is pretty much an achievement.
Keeping the interesting, if sometimes awkward, second-person discourse from «Winter Journal», the aptly titled «Report From The Interior» is essentially divided in three parts: the first, telling some of his earlier memories the way he remembers them, is akin to «Winter Journal», however centered on his mind and perception of the world rather than his body and how it changed. The second, where he describes at length two movies that made a strong impression on him which, incidentally, is the strongest, most engaging section of the book. And the third, where he recounts some of his adolescence by directly transcribing a lot of the letters he wrote to the girl he loved at the time - and who would then go on to become his (former) wife.
In a word, I felt detached from Auster's musings for the best part of «Report From The Interior», even if it kept me going, never thinking of putting it down and forgetting about it. And that's the problem of great authors and sky-high standards. A good book of their simply feels lukewarm. You invariably expect a great one.
bobbo49's review against another edition
3.0
Disappointing. The first third of the book is 5 stars - a remembrance of Auster's childhood in the l950s (born in 1947), and filled with the kind of stories from that time that reflect my own childhood, however different our circumstances. Then Auster slips into two lengthy depictions of movies that impacted him - and while I understand the importance the movies played in our lives, the level of detail is almost as long as the movies themselves. Finally, his first wife sends him hundreds of pages of letters that he wrote to her during and shortly after his college years - and instead of using them to refresh his recollections, he simply quotes the letters at great length, losing the thread and voice of his brilliant first third. Thus, the first part of the book is well worth reading - but quit while you're ahead!
msjoanna's review against another edition
4.0
When did Paul Auster become one of my most-read authors? His strange style appeals to me at an emotional level. This memoir of sorts had the same effect. These essays are disjointed, confusing, a mix of emotions and stories in only roughly chronological order. There's no real effort here to do anything other than remember what feelings he had at different times in his life. This shouldn't make for interesting reading. Yet, somehow, I found this compelling. The author reads his own book for the audiobook, and that makes a difference. There's real honesty and vulnerability here, and hearing that read aloud is endearing and strangely compelling.
Go read [b:The New York Trilogy|431|The New York Trilogy|Paul Auster|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386924429s/431.jpg|2343071] instead if you haven't yet. If you have, and liked it, find out more about the author by reading this one. But listen to him read it aloud if you can.
Go read [b:The New York Trilogy|431|The New York Trilogy|Paul Auster|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386924429s/431.jpg|2343071] instead if you haven't yet. If you have, and liked it, find out more about the author by reading this one. But listen to him read it aloud if you can.
nima_nimble's review against another edition
2.0
بازنمایی ذهنیای که نویسنده تلاش کرده است در این کتاب از دنیای ذهنیاش در کودکی و نوجوانی بکند هرچند به خاطر علاقهای که به آستر و نوشتههایش دارم برایم جالب است، اما به شدت این نوشته متظاهرانه به نظر میرسد. گویی ایدههای نویسنده آنقدر ته کشیده است که ترجیح داده است به جای آنکه خاطراتش را با روانکاو در میان بگذارد و پولی به روانشناس بدهد آنها را مکتوب کند تا پولی در بیاورد!
mali90's review against another edition
4.0
یک اتوبیوگرافی. پل استر نویسنده مورد علاقه ی منه و سبک نوشتارش و کلن میپسندم و این کتاب هم مستثنی نیست. توی این کتاب احساسات و طرز فکرش و از دوره کودکی تا اوج جوانی شرح داده با عبارات و توصیف های زیبا که برای من خوندنش خالی از لطف نبود
"نخست همه چیز زنده بود. کوچکترین اشیا قلب تپنده داشتند. قیچی ها راه میرفتند، تلفن ها و کتری ها پسر عمو بودند و چشم ها و عینک ها برادر..."
"نخست همه چیز زنده بود. کوچکترین اشیا قلب تپنده داشتند. قیچی ها راه میرفتند، تلفن ها و کتری ها پسر عمو بودند و چشم ها و عینک ها برادر..."
batoolm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.5