HomeLiterary FictionThe Invention of Solitude

Cover of The Invention of Solitude

Literary Fiction · 2010 · G

The Invention of Solitude

by Paul Auster

Two meditations on fatherhood — Auster's father's death, and his own father-life.

'One day there is life . . . and then, suddenly, it happens there is death.' So begins Paul Auster's moving and personal meditation on fatherhood. The first section, 'Portrait of an Invisible Man', reveals Auster's memories and feelings after the death of his father. In 'The Book of Memory' the perspective shifts to Auster's role as a father. The narrator, 'A', contemplates his separation from his son, his dying grandfather and the solitary nature of writing and story-telling.

ForAll agesGenreLiterary FictionLength192 pagesRead time~5 hours

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

None

No violence; death of a parent

Language

None

No profanity

Sexual Content

None

No sexual content

Substance Use

None

No substance use

Emotional Intensity

Barely any

Themes of fatherhood, memory, and solitude

What this book is about

Auster's 1982 memoir in two parts: 'Portrait of an Invisible Man' (about his emotionally absent father) and 'The Book of Memory' (about his own fatherhood). Clean and quietly profound. For adults.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

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