Nov 28 2005
Austerlitz is an enigmatic figure who the narrator of this extraordinary novel by W.G. Sebald encounters in the salle des pas perdus, or waiting room, in Antwerp’s Centraal Station. We never find out our narrator’s name, and the story he relates to us, ostensibly that of his travels around Europe in the late 20th century, is really just a framing device for the haunting story of Austerlitz himself.
Nov 11 2005
A character named Bret Easton Ellis discusses the first line of Lunar Park. That is, he comments on the first line, and then goes on to compare it to the first lines and paragraphs of all ‘his’ other novels. These happen to be the same books that the real-life Ellis has written, and which made the writer so famous. After giving us the opening lines and paragraphs, our narrator provides an amusing summary of his life, encompassing the furore of the response to American Psycho, the drugs, the parties, the failed relationships, the death of the father — everything. It’s all delivered in a deadpan tone, which means it is pure Ellis. It’s hugely ironical and highly entertaining. The chapter ends hinting at tales of horror to come in the next twelve days.
Continue Reading »