The Invention of Solitude

The Invention of Solitude is divided into two parts, the first part, Portrait of an Invisible Man, and the second, The Book of Memory. In the Portrait of an Invisible Man, Paul Auster, who is also the author of the book, lived with his son Daniel and wife at home. Paul Auster began to think how his father, Samuel Auster, is getting very old, and suspects he might pass away soon. One day Paul received a phone call that his father had passed away at his home. Paul then faced the challenges of gathering up and moving out all of his father’s belongings from his house. As he was going through each of his father’s items, Paul was reminded of his memories as a young child. Each item for Paul such as clothing, notes, and letters, allowed him to tell the story of his father’s life that played out in a series of events. These included Paul as a child, his marriage, his job, and even the murders of his relatives. Paul even used each of these life experiences as lessons in the second part of the book, The Book of Memory. In The Book of Memory, Paul used stories such as Pinocchio and other recollections to show his life as a father. It also allowed him to let the readers know not only the importance of memory, but to enjoy life to the fullest with the ones you love. He also explained writing as an author in his later life and the loneliness that came with his divorce.

The conflict of this story is shown with Paul trying to deal with his father’s death in the Portrait of an Invisible Man, and his divorce in The Book of Memory. As Paul received the sudden news of his father’s death, he was taken back by the fact he actually passed away. Paul then made the trip with his wife to clear out his father’s possessions from the house, so they could pu...

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...s you valued most in your life, as time spent with loved ones. I think many would agree this is the most important point the book made, because you do not know how long your loved ones will be around to share those memories with you of when you were happiest in your lifetime.

I feel this book was a great read, and that the story can apply to anyone’s life no matter what the age. It can relate to parents, as Paul Auster recants the life of his father Samuel Auster. It can apply to younger people, as Paul told of his childhood and the things he learned from his father. It will also apply to elderly people’s lives because of how the story portrayed the importance of memory, and enjoying life to the fullest. I think the book is also very easy to understand by the way the author used examples of stories such as Pinocchio and the story of Jonah to teach his lessons.