The Brooklyn Follies: A Novel [Paperback]

Nathan Glass has come to Brooklyn to die. Divorced, retired, estranged from his only daughter, the former life insurance salesman seeks only solitude and anonymity. Then Glass encounters his long-lost nephew, Tom Wood, who is working in a local bookstore. Through Tom and his charismatic boss, Harry, Nathan's world gradually broadens to include a new set of acquaintances, which leads him to a reckoning with his past.

PAUL AUSTERis the bestselling author ofTravels in the Scriptorium,Oracle Night, andMan in the Dark, among many other works.I Thought My Father Was God, the NPR National Story Project Anthology, which he edited, was also a national bestseller. His work has been translated into more than thirty-five languages. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

A charming, beguiling story about the terrible beauty of families and the redemptive power of love . . . Auster's writing is packed with surprises. USA Today

A bighearted, life-affirming, tenderly comic yarn. The Washington Post

Probably the first authentic attempt to deal with the post--September 11 world . . . It is a multilayered tapestry, with whimsical chapter headings and Dickensian depth. San Francisco Chronicle

Auster has written a sublime soap opera about the ways in which people abandon and save one another. He captures a historical moment, our twisted America, and he offers a message of hope. Love will save us. We will save each other. Auster employs tough-guy talk and funny, believable stories of folly in his search for wisdom and goodness. The Boston Globe

Discussion Questions

1. What role does redemption play in the novel? Nathan tells us that he returned to Brooklyn because I was looking for a quiet place to die, and yet he manages to build a quirky, vibrant life. What are some other examples of redemption in the book?

2. The need for companionship bothlS