Modern Lit: Travels in the Scriptorium, by Paul Auster

Oh no, Mr. Blank!

The first third of Travels in the Scriptorium is strange, ala Margaret Atwood. Why is this man caged up in this little room, and why is he being drugged? Who is he? During the course of the one day encompassed by this novel, visitor after visitor drops in and imparts a small nugget of information, which, as they accumulate, begin to fill in this picture. By the end of the second third, light begins to dawn on the reader, and the last third, to the finish, though still strange, is much more satisfying. Auster is not the first author to adopt the central premise of Travels, but he makes use of it in an original way.
Despite the caveats of other reviewers, I did not find my lack of familiarity with Auster’s previous works any impediment. In fact, it probably added to the element of surprise.