An old man awakens, disoriented, in an unfamiliar chamber. With no memory of who he is or how he has arrived there, he pores over the relics on the desk, examining the circumstances of his confinement and searching his own hazy mind for clues.
Determining that he is locked in, the man—identified only as Mr. Blank—begins reading a manuscript he finds on the desk, the story of another prisoner, set in an alternate world the man doesn't recognize. Nevertheless, the pages seem to have been left for him, along with a haunting set of photographs. As the day passes, various characters call on the man in his cell—vaguely familiar people, some who seem to resent him for crimes he can't remember—and each brings frustrating hints of his identity and his past. All the while an overhead camera clicks and clicks, recording his movements, and a microphone records every sound in the room. Someone is watching.
Both chilling and poignant, Travels in the Scriptorium is vintage Paul Auster: mysterious texts, fluid identities, a hidden past, and, somewhere, an obscure tormentor. And yet, as we discover during one day in the life of Mr. Blank, his world is not so different from our own.
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"This is a quick afternoon read, well worth it though. Pure Auster, a dark, claustrophobic microcosm with a sinister big brother looking over your shoulder feel. He creates the same sense of desolation and isolation that he did in his "Country of Lost Things""
— Fred (4 out of 5 stars)
" Mixed feelings about this one. I've developed a pretty severe non-sexual mancrush on Paul Auster lately, and this book was certainly pleasurable to read, but ultimately a little thinner than I expected. "
— Mike, 2/10/2014" Short, but the size seems to me to be a problem with this one. I found the writing interesting at points but the plot was too minimal -- it can be summed up in a few words and it didn't really provide much beyond that "punch line". If the story was longer, with some interesting plotting, or shorter, it would work better. And don't read any reviews beforehand! And yes, it has an interesting picture on the cover! "
— Jay, 12/13/2013" I was quite disappointed by this novel...it reminds me of The Trial by Kafka...only not quite as good. I think Auster has tried to break away from his usual style and try something different, which I think is wonderful - but it hasn't quite worked. "
— Gemma, 12/5/2013" Wow. Wow wow wow Paul frickin Auster. Read this in one sitting and now I can't stop thinking about it. Horrifying and beautiful. Super tight writing, too. Now to read the New York Trilogy. "
— Ethan, 12/1/2013" I love Paul A., but I had to force myself to finish this one. Every time I read a new novel of his, I can never forget how much I loved Oracle Night. "
— Nika, 11/26/2013" Quick read. I haven't yet decided whether this is obnoxious in a delightful or irritating way. It does, however, include the only joke about a man going into a bar that I have ever found even slightly humorous, and for that I believe it deserves some points. "
— Dawn, 11/3/2013" Read my review of Man in the Dark: A Novel by the same author. The story is not connected but my previous review is similar to to this one. "
— Johnny, 11/1/2013" okay, hey weird. wish he'd wrapped it up just a little clearer, but... "
— martha, 10/28/2013" Strikingly precise and wonderful prose, but I felt a little duped at the end. "
— Cardee, 7/29/2013" 150p- 10-04-2008 "
— Michael, 4/29/2013" It is my understanding that the way to enjoy this book by Paul Auster is to have previously read and enjoyed other books by Paul Auster. As this was my unfortunate introduction to the author, I believe I'll pass. "
— Jaime, 1/2/2013" A quick and satisfying one-day read. My first Auster book. "
— Architeacher, 10/14/2012" an interesting premise that, auster's books are wont to do, pissed me off in the end. too transparent. too easy. "
— Jackie, 6/9/2012" This is a wonderfully descriptive, wonderfully surreal, wonderfully disturbing book, superficially simple but in fact incredibly complex and multi-layered. Very Austerian as well as austere. I've just finished it but want to read it again! "
— Heidi, 5/23/2012" Straight out of an episode of the "Twilight Zone." "
— Rebecca, 11/7/2011" My second Auster and just as metaphysical. Mysterious, incredibly playful. A writer of so few words who is able to capture/control my attention and imagination. Well done. "
— Bryan, 9/20/2011" Interesting story, a quick read, but the ending was a little weird and not what I was expecting. "
— Ali6, 9/5/2011" a good companion piece to his early works and a must for the completeist, however on its own it falls a bit short. "
— Virginia, 8/11/2011" I tend to like this sort of thing, and I liked this. A tiny world that expands ever-so-slowly, with details revealed but never coming fully into the light. I don't mind chilliness if it is clever. "
— Cecily, 5/9/2011" I understand when people don't like when authors are messing with their mind, but I do, very much so in fact. "
— Ronnie, 4/12/2011" Very nice short novel. I like the narrator's voice and how it's called a report. Also, that it's just one day and ends before dinner. Imaginative to say the least. I'll definitely be reading more Auster.<br/> "
— Rachel, 3/3/2011" i can't help but feel that i'm only a character in someone else's story.... probably not the best introduction to auster, but this one whetted my interest enough to delve further in the future. "
— Nana, 1/17/2011" I just didn't enjoy this one at all. Too artificial. "
— Insomnica, 12/28/2010" This book was just vague and weird enough. Any less information would have made it muddle, but any more would have made it seem like it was trying too hard. "
— Joseph, 12/25/2010Paul Auster (1947–2024) wrote bestselling novels in The New York Trilogy and many other critically acclaimed novels. He has been awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature, the Prix Médicis Étranger, the Independent Spirit Award, and the Premio Napoli. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His work has been translated into more than forty languages.
Laural Merlington is an audiobook narrator with over two hundred titles to her credit and a winner of multiple Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, she has also directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, she teaches college in her home state of Michigan.