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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Violence in the political context of 1967 New York and Paris; a killing is central to the plot
Language
Some
Adult language in the literary fiction register
Sexual Content
A lot
Explicit incestuous sexual content is a significant and deliberate element of the novel
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The moral weight of complicity, violence, and transgressive desire creates sustained psychological complexity
What this book is about
Paul Auster's novel follows Adam Walker, a young Columbia student in 1967 who meets Rudolf Born and his lover Margot. What follows involves violence, moral compromise, and a relationship with his sister that the novel handles with disturbing explicitness. Auster frames the narrative through manuscripts and layers of storytelling. The incest element is not metaphorical. A difficult and mature literary novel for readers familiar with Auster's willingness to challenge.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Incest as explicit plot element
Moral complexity and violence
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