Mr. Vertigo by Paul Auster

“Like if Icarus had hit puberty, and then couldn’t fly”

Overview: Mr. Vertigo tells the story of Walter Claireborne Rawley, in short Walt. He is a neglected orphan dwelling on the streets of St. Louis. Master Yehudi takes the boy to a lone house in the countryside to teach Walt how to fly. Throughout the story, they encounter real-life dangers like the Ku Klux Klan and the Chicago Mob.

This book is really interesting, as it’s told in the first person, and it’s clear that the narrator is recounting the story of his (fictional) life.

Mr. Vertigo is a truly wonderful tale; one that, in its depth of cultural relevance and commentary, reads more like a piece of allegorical history than fiction at all. Even the most fantastic moments come off completely real, and even more painfully so because of the weight with which they are written.

There's a sense of magic here and with that, of course, is always a suspension of disbelief, but there is also a sense of a lifetime portrayed and Auster manages to show the grief and pain of hatred and racism, the feeling of loss of love and life, and losing those you care about all in the mix with such lively memorable characters that one finds immensely likable. It's quite amazing that he could do this all so well and keep the novel just shy of 300 pages, but that's exactly what he does. It's a contained sort of epic, but nonetheless quite intriguing and heartfelt throughout.

There’s also some great quotes:

"Kansas is an illusion," He said one morning as he scraped away at his invisible beard, "a stopping place on the road to reality."

“I'm not going to apologize for things that need no apology. I did what I had to do, and it took as long as it had to take. Now a new chapter begins. The demons have fled, and the dark night of the soul is over."

Timbuktu by Paul Auster

“No matter the circumstances, all dogs deserve a good life”

Overview: The story is about the life of a dog, Mr. Bones, who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his homeless master is dying. The story, set in the early 1990s, is told through the eyes of Mr. Bones, who has an internal monologue in English.

I really enjoyed this book, despite never having read a story where the protagonist is an animal. The story is very moving, deep, and it honestly makes you think about your own life and existence and the way we cope with things. Through the eyes of a dog, who understands his existential difference from his human friend's, one can get perspective and possibly reconsider what's important in life. I highly recommend this book if you are considering - or tired of - reading existentialism books, as it goes into such matters but in a very smooth, easy to read, feel-good fiction novel.

On the surface, this is a dog story or maybe even a buddy story, but deeper down I suppose it’s a story of unconditional love and loyalty between two individuals, regardless of species or gender. It is obviously more than just an homage to our canine companions; it’s a statement about friendship and perhaps how life with a constant good friend, even if food and shelter are not always available, is more fulfilling than a life with creature comforts.

Auster masterfully puts you in the mind of a dog and takes the reader for a journey that's to be remembered long after the book is completed.

After finishing it, the story makes you reconsider your thoughts about your dog, or any other dog, as beings with feelings, intelligence, fidelity.