4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Paul Auster has been one of my all-time favorite novelists since I first read THE NEW YORK TRILOGY years ago (like...25 years? Cripes.) He's one of the few writers who I still reflexively buy whatever he writes, even during a stretch that was - for me - somewhat uneven. (Mr. Vertigo and Timbuktu, I'm looking at you.)
Of late, he's not only regained form with Brooklyn Follies and Sunset Park, but here, with 4 3 2 1, he may have written his best novel since Leviathan. This is the story of Archibald Ferguson ... or rather, the four stories of Ferguson. In a Sliding Doors-esque sort of story, it is four versions of Archie's life, each with overlapping storylines and similarities, but each quite different and unique. Each set of chapters (named 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4...and so on) cover roughly the same period of time for each version, and while it takes a moment or two to catch on to what's happening, it's the similarities and the differences that are so evocative and meaningful.
The first novels I read of Auster's were almost existential and surreal, hovering in a recognizable reality but off in clever ways. Of late, he's much more grounded in reality and aside from the structure of the book, this is very much in that realm.
Perhaps the only critique I have of the novel is that it's quite long - not a bad thing on its own - but as such, when you get to one story, it brings up characters you haven't seen in awhile and it can take some time to even remember who the heck they are. There is also a bit more focus around a campus protest (which runs through each version of Archie's life) that seems like it should feel more important than it does, but these are minor quibbles.
In his 70's, Paul Auster seems to be getting BETTER and that's good news for everyone. HIGHLY recommended.