Booklover Book Reviews

Music of Chance – Paul Auster

Paul Auster’s Music of Chance is a story of both absurdity and intensity that will keep you guessing.

Add together two screw-ups, Nashe and Pozzi, chancing their luck at a game of poker with two eccentric millionaires, Flower and Stone, who just happen to want to build a stone wall in a field on their estate and you have the basic plot of Auster’s Music of Chance. Although this is the first title of Auster’s I have read, I think it is probably safe for me to say that Auster’s bizarre plots are merely vehicles through which much deeper stories are told.

Music of Chance demands self-reflection of its audience, ostensibly being about the meaningless of the universe – so it is not something to read if you’re having a blue day… It is a story of both hope and hopelessness in equal measure. It explores both the importance and the futility of the decisions we make that shape our lives.

The characters in this novel display elements of the best and worst human nature has to offer. Through these characters Auster explores the concepts of right and wrong, power and control and most importantly how these seemingly black and white concepts can so easily mutate depending on the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Music of Chance is a powerful experience by an equally powerful author – an experience I would recommend to those who enjoy novels that really make them think.

The narration of the audiobook by Marc Vietor is compelling, with tension building from the opening line right up to the chilling climax.

BOOK RATING: The Story 4 / 5 ; The Writing 4.5 / 5

BOOK DETAILS: Music of Chance (The Book Depository), Music of Chance (Audible), Music of Chance (Amazon)

Genre: Literature, Drama

Author Information: Paul Auster was born in Newark, New Jersey, USA IN 1947.

Just some of the other titles by this author: Sunset Park (2010), Invisible (2009), Man In The Dark (2008), Book of Illusions (2002), Timbuktu (1999), Leviathan (1992), Moon Palace (1989), The New York Trilogy (1987)

Other Resources:

• In 1993 this was made into a film; Mandy Patinkinplayed Nashe and James Spader played Pozzi - watch the movie trailer for Music of Chance.
• The Books Interview: Paul Auster – Sweet music of chance (The Independent)

Other reviews of Music of Chance:  Identity Theory, Epinions, Brothers Judd

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you’re reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

I have only just started a new audiobook, Music of Chance by Paul Auster.

Paul Auster is a new author to me, who I first came across on Fresh Ink Books. Sandra wrote that she’d enjoyed every book by Auster she’d read and gave this title in particular 5 stars.

Being a trained statistician and a music lover, this title held great appeal to me also!

So, here is the opening sentence:

The words alone are not a bad opening for a thriller, but add the tension filled narration by Marc Vietor and I’m hooked. (Listen to a sample of this audiobook – Music of Chance.)

What do you think of this opening?

Have you read any of Paul Auster’s many titles?

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