title: Oracle Night by: Auster, Paul published: 2003 read: 2021-03 preview

The novel begins with Sidney Orr, a writer recovering from a severe illness that has left him physically and creatively drained. As he attempts to regain his strength, he visits a small, mysterious stationary shop in Brooklyn, where he purchases a blue notebook that inexplicably draws him in. Upon returning home, Orr begins writing in the notebook, and soon finds himself immersed in a new story.

In the story Orr writes, a literary editor named Nick Bowen receives a manuscript that compels him to abandon his life and embark on a strange journey. As Orr writes, the boundaries between his fiction and his reality begin to blur. Events in Orr’s life start to mirror the narrative he is creating in the blue notebook, leading to unexpected and sometimes troubling consequences.

Meanwhile, Orr’s personal life is complicated by his relationships with his wife, Grace, and his close friend, John Trause, an older writer who plays a significant role in Orr’s life. Tensions arise as secrets and past events come to light, affecting Orr’s marriage and his friendship with Trause.

The narrative shifts between multiple storylines – the life of Sidney Orr, the fictional tale of Nick Bowen, and the lives of other characters connected to Orr. These stories reach their resolutions, with Orr gaining a deeper understanding of the mysterious forces at play in his life and the potential power of his creative work. In the end Orr reflects on the impact of the blue notebook and how reality and fiction relate.

Well… many things happen, many characters pass, and many loose ends ensue. The final mystery of the blue notebook remains sadly unsolved. And while the story is entertaining, as Auster’ stories are, there is a sense of incompleteness and unfinished business in the end.

Still: Auster, you know.