Who was Paul Auster? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Paul Benjamin Auster

Died At Age: 77

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Siri Hustvedt (m. 1982), Lydia Davis (m. 1974Р 1979)

father: Samuel Auster

mother: Queenie Bogat Auster

children: Daniel Auster, Sophie Auster

Born Country: United States

Novelists American Men

Died on: April 30, 2024

place of death: New York City

Notable Alumni: Columbia College (New York)

U.S. State: New Jersey

City: Newark, New Jersey

More Facts

education: Columbia College (New York)

Recommended For You

1

What are some popular themes in Paul Auster's work?

Some common themes in Paul Auster's writing include identity, coincidence, chance, solitude, and the interconnectedness of human lives.
2

What is Paul Auster's writing style known for?

Paul Auster was known for his postmodernist writing style which often incorporates metafiction, unreliable narrators, and intricate storytelling techniques.
3

Which famous literary works influenced Paul Auster?

Paul Auster cited the works of authors such as Franz Kafka, Samuel Beckett, and Jorge Luis Borges as major influences on his writing.
4

How did Paul Auster explore the concept of reality in his novels?

Paul Auster often blurred the lines between reality and fiction in his novels, challenging readers to question the nature of truth and perception.
5

What are some recurring motifs in Paul Auster's novels?

Some recurring motifs in Paul Auster's work include chance encounters, mysterious disappearances, labyrinthine plots, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.

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Childhood & Early Life

Paul Benjamin Auster was born in Newark, New Jersey into a middle class Jewish family to Queenie and Samuel Auster.

He was raised in the suburban municipality of South Orange, New Jersey and Newark and attended the Columbia High School in Maplewood.

In 1970, he graduated from the Columbia University, after which he moved to Paris where he worked as a translator of French literature.

In 1974, he came back to the U.S and started writing essays, poems and novels and also translated the works of many prominent French writers.

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American Novelists

Career

In 1982, his book titled, ‘Squeeze Play’, one of his works which he wrote under the pseudonym, Paul Benjamin, was released.

In 1987, his series of three mystery novels ‘The New York Trilogy’ was published by the Faber & Faber publishing house. The same year his novel ‘In the Country of Last Things’ was also published.

In 1989, ‘Moon Palace’, a novel, set in Manhattan, New York was published. Published in 1990, by the Viking Press, his mystery novel titled ‘The Music of Chance’ falls under the genre of ‘absurdist novels’ that focuses on ‘random event’ and ‘meaninglessness of the universe’.

In 1992, his crime novel ‘Leviathan’ was published by the Viking Press. The novel was later made into an audio book, released on ‘Audible.com’. The next year, he wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of his novel ‘The Music of Chance’. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival that year.

In 1995, he wrote the screenplay for the award winning American film ‘Smoke’, which he also directed along with Wayne Wang. That year he also directed and wrote screenplay for the film ‘Blue in the Face’.

In 2002, ‘The Book of Illusions’, his novel, based on the life of a university professor was published by the Henry Holt publishing house. That year ‘The Story of My Typewriter’ was also published.

In 2005, Henry Holt and Co. published his novel ‘The Brooklyn Follies’. In 2008, ‘Man in the Dark’, his novel, centred on the presidential elections of 2000 was published.

In 2009, ‘Invisible’, his collection of four short stories, all interconnected to form a continuous story was published.

In 2010, ‘Sunset Park’, his novel, set around the American financial recession was published by the Henry Holt and Co.

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In 2013, a collection of letters that were exchanged between him and South African novelist J. M. Coetzee titled ‘Here and Now: Letters (2008–2011)’ was published by the Viking Press.

Major Works

Published in 1987, his novel ‘The New York Trilogy’ became a great success and was the recipient of the Prix France Culture de Litterature Etrangere award.

He directed and wrote the screenplay for the film ‘Smoke’, which received the Silver Bear at the 45th Berlin International Film Festival, received Danish Film Critics Bodil Award for Best American Film and also earned the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.

Awards & Achievements

In 1990, he received the Morton Dauwen Zabel Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In 1996, he received the John William Corrington Award for Literary Excellence.

In 2003, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 2006, he was the recipient of the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature.

In 2006, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters for Literature.

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Personal Life & Legacy

In 1974, he married his first wife Lydia Davis but the marriage did not last long and the couple separated. They had a child together.

In 1981, he married Siri Hustvedt and the couple had a child together.

In 2013, one of his autobiographical works ‘Report From The Interior’ was published.

Paul Auster passed away on April 30, 2024, at the age of 77, at his home on Brooklyn. He had lung cancer.

Facts About Paul Auster

Paul Auster was known for incorporating elements of mystery and metafiction in his novels, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

Auster was a talented translator, having translated works by French authors such as Stéphane Mallarmé and Joseph Joubert into English.

He was a dedicated supporter of independent bookstores and has been vocal about the importance of preserving literary culture in the digital age.

Auster was also a film director and screenwriter, having adapted some of his own works for the big screen.

In addition to his writing, Auster was an avid baseball fan and has written essays on the sport, showcasing his diverse interests beyond literature.

Paul Auster Biography

You wanted to know

What are some popular themes in Paul Auster's work?

What is Paul Auster's writing style known for?

Which famous literary works influenced Paul Auster?

How did Paul Auster explore the concept of reality in his novels?

What are some recurring motifs in Paul Auster's novels?