“I am alone in the dark, turning the world around in my head as I struggle through another bout of insomnia, another white night in the great American wilderness”

- Man in the Dark

I confess.

I have only read The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster.

And I confess again.

The only reason I picked up Man in the Dark was because it was nominated for the Man Booker’s Prize.

The book, by glance, is considerably small in quantity; holding a mere 180 pages in comparison to Bill Clinton’s My Life of God knows how many.

But you should never judge a book by its cover (or so we say)

Man in the Dark revolves around one man, 72-year-old recently widowed August Brill who is struck by bad luck, to say the least. Living with his forty-something year old divorced daughter and his 20-something year old granddaughter who just lost the love of her life to a horrific murder, August Brill is a man who is surrounded, it seems, by pain, agony and misery.

While people read to escape reality, August Brill creates stories inside his mind to help him keep the reality of his life away; to keep the thoughts that daily haunt him at bay. As a result, the readers are introduced to a story that August tells throughout the whole novel.

Don’t be fooled though.

August Brill’s story holds weight to the actual novel. Taking place in USA, August’s story is of a America that is in a different political condition than today. Instead of being in war with Iraq, America is going through a war within its own borders, with states, one by one, declaring independence. The story that August tells is actually relatable with the world that we live in today; darkness, violence and confusion. Also, the story that August narrates and his own life story is also intertwined, meaning that August’s story is very much connected to his own reality.   

As the novel proceeds, the readers are not only exposed to a high paced story told by August, but August himself becomes very transparent; the walls and facades start wearing off and we are left to judge August for the man he is.  

It’s interesting to note that while the novel keeps you guessing and wondering, it’s really difficult to talk about it (or write for that matter) without giving much away. So I think I’m going to stop talking about the novel’s story.      

With no chapters (gasp!), Man in the Dark gives a unique experience for the reader. The novel flows smoother, there are no interruptions, but I felt out-of-place leaving the book in the middle. So guess what I did?

 I ended up reading the whole thing on a Saturday.  

I wish I could write more on this novel, because there is a lot more to it than we read. Written with style, Man in the Dark not only exposes the reader to the grim realties of this world (and the grim realties of humans; as August Brill says: “Beware of men in their forties“), but surprisingly, the novel also emphasises on the simple joys that we humans come across everyday. Be it having breakfast with your family in the morning, or even a hug (don’t cringe).  

The novel tries to teach to its readers to appreciate the simple joys in, as the back cover of the book says, “a world capable of the most grotesque violence”.

Man in the Dark deserved being nominated for a Man Booker’s Prize, but though it is beautifuly written, it is not a book that I will pick up frequently to re-read. Once read, I would only pick it up after a years break to see what other ideas I can deduce from it.

I still recommend that you go buy it. It’s rare that money on books goes to waste (yes, even bad books are not a waste of money!)

Let me know what your thoughts are on Man in the Dark.  I will be deciding on which book to read next in a few days.

On another note…. Merry Xmas to those who celebrate it today!

Until next time,

Mashaal