New Auster

Got to hand it to the Rake for uncovering this review of Auster's upcoming The Brooklyn Follies (this is an '06 release, by the way). It looks like they liked it better than the heavily panned Oracle Night, but perhaps not as much as Auster's finest (for which we can debate between City of Glass, The Locked Room, Moon Palace, and In the Country of Last Things).

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In other news:

1. Ghost Word points me to the new blog Agent007. It seems kinda like what Mad Max was doing over at BookAngst101, except from an agent's perspective. One to watch.

2. Although I have come to expect Martin Peretz to use The New Republic as his personal soapbox for whatever political pet peeve he may feel like airing, this "book review" still leaves me flabbergasted. (Note to Martin: Even though the little sign on your desk says "Editor" that doesn't mean that you don't need one.)

3. This isn't literary, but. Does anyone else find it funny that David Brooks's new column, in which he froths "Roberts nomination, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways" is entitled A Competent Conservative? Dunno, but if you're going to publically proclaim your love to a couple of nouns, seems like the proper noun should be able to garner heavier praise than "competent." Just sayin'. (Although, I will admit that Brooks has a particular affinity for the middle of the road.) *

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* Now that I've broached the topic of the Roberts nomination, let me just state for the record that I think he is neither Satan's spawn nor Sandra Day part II. Actually, I think he's something of a calculated risk by the Bush administration--they're in a weak position because: a) They're now completely blamed for the mess in Iraq by a majority of the population, b) They're totally shooting themselves in the foot by not just up and firing Rove immediately, and c) Social Security dismantlement is dragging them down. As such, we got Roberts, and, frankly, I don't think anyone will know how he will turn out until a few years down the line.

I will say, however, that his answers on Roe v. Wade from a 2002 confirmation hearing are encouraging.

Comments

[Dan Wickett]

No mention of my personal favorite of the Auster novels: The Music of Chance? Though I did really enjoy Moon Palace and In the Country of Last Things (which makes for an nice bookend to M. Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale) too, Music is tops in my book.

enjoy,

[Scott]

I haven't had a chance to read that one Dan. Yet another book for the TBR stack.

[patricia]

Can't wait for the new Auster. The New York Trilogy was amazing, and I'm enjoying his personal prose. His family background is fascinating. Must admit though, that Oracle Night was a disappointment overall. But a well-written disappointment!