An excerpt from Paul Auster's New York Trilogy
Each time he took a walk, he felt as though he were leaving himself behind, and by giving himself up to the movement of the streets, by reducing himself to a seeing eye, he was able to escape the obligation to think, and this, more than anything else, brought him a measure of peace, a salutary emptiness within... By wandering aimlessly, all places became equal and it no longer mattered where he was. On his best walks he was able to feel that he was nowhere. And this, finally was all he ever asked of things: to be nowhere.
Paul Auster, City of Glass
The New York Trilogy
Also at A Piece of Monologue:
4 Comments:
Could this be called a "will to oblivion"?
Interesting idea.
Sounds like Blanchot..
That's a nice point! There are striking similarities between Auster's writing and Blanchot's work. The fact that Auster has translated Blanchot's work suggests that the influence is quite a direct one.
Thanks for getting in touch, Katy. Great website.
Best,
Rhys
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