Mr. Vertigo [Paperback]

The universe here is quite definite: America in the early twentieth century. The prose is decidedly un-austere. Auster attempts to authentically capture the lingo and rhythms of the 1920s and 1930s. Either that, or he has created a grand parody of the way people spoke. Either way, the dialogue here is colourful, flavourful, but sometimes peculiar. Paul may have bit off more than he can chew. Examples such referring to St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean as 'The Dizmeister' try and inject style into corners where style isn't needed. Was the name Dizzy not interesting enough? A minor quibble, that. (Dean also serves as an analogy-within-analogy; his meteoric rise and fall rivals that of our protagonist.) For the most part Auster has a grand command of the language he uses.

But all this does not deny the fact that this book is still a pretty powerful analogy. It is a picaresque, following the adventures of Walter Claireborne Rawley, a.k.a., Walt the Wonder Boy. Rescued from a scamp's life by the mysterious Master Yehudi, Walt is taught to fly. This curious skill -- the only piece of Auster-esque magic in a book that takes great pains to mimic its reality -- takes them on adventures all over the country. And herein lies the analogy. As Walt's powers and fame grows, so to do those of the young country on the verge of its own modern breakthroughs. Walt's adventures parallel the rise and fall of American culture in its infancy: from Vaudeville, to the Circus, to motion pictures; from a run in with the Ku Klux Klan, to an allegiance with Prohibition-era Chicago gangsters. Walt lives a kind of Forrest Gump-type existence. The cherry on the sundae is his love for and near ruin at the hands of that most American of pastimes, baseball. "Mr. Vertigo" is about America finding its wings, and Auster weaves its story with Walt's with near-seamless precision.

On a deeper level, it should not be overlooked that Master Yehudi is seen, several times, reading from a book of Spinoza. My elementary understanding of the man's philosophies, with thanks to Bertrand Russell, indicates that Auster intended these passing mentions to have some weight. The relationship between Master Yehudi and Walt is analogous to God's relationship to Man. This is best seen in the (evil) training Walt must undergo in order to lift-off. There are also references to bondage by outside sources, freedom stemming from self-determination, and happiness in the face of misfortune, that readers of both Spinoza and "Mr. Vertigo" will find familiar. And finally, we get a philosophical explanation of why the boy can fly: "Everything that happens is a manifestation of God's inscrutable nature, and it is logically impossible that events should be other than they are," says Spinoza. So, Master Yehudi says, "In order to lift you off the ground, we have to crack the heavens in two. We have to turn the whole bloody universe inside out." Familiarity with Spinoza is unnecessary (I only achieved mine in hindsight) but it might just enhance your experience with the novel.

Auster still manages to throw in some po-mo theorizing, this time on the nature of the book as a piece of fiction. To begin with, one of the characters, a poor black boy with designs on getting into university, is named Aesop. He writes a memoir (or is it a fable?) at one point, about which Walt says, "I laughed at some parts, I cried at others, and what more can a person want from a book than to feel the prick of such delights and sorrows?" Auster does his best to inject such sorrows and delights into his book. He also adds meta-fictional moments to the narrative: "If this were a movie, here's where the calendar pages would start flying off the wall," Walt says, just as his career is about to take off, around the time when that cinematic cliche was forming. And most tellingly of all, here's Walt (speaking words you'd expect Auster to believe) on his newly minted status: "I wasn't just a robot anymore, a wind-up baboon who did the same set of tricks for every show -- I was evolving into an artist, a true creator who performed as much for his own sake as for the sake of others." This book is Auster's most accessible work, and the above confirms that he knows exactly what he is doing.

If I've sounded like a book report at times, I apologize, but Auster's writing lends itself to this kind of reviewing. It is concerned with the ideas that surround its fictions, so why shouldn't I take a stab at cracking the codes those ideas are trying to hide? It brings me enjoyment to do so, and I suspect those of you reading this who also have a patient and curious mind will enjoy this book as well.

While the meaning of the alleghory is poignant, the manner that Auster paints the picture contains even more virtuosity. The story starts very whimsically, with a sense of magic. And then, as usual, there is clearly a lose of innocence, and an experiencing of multiple severe personal tragedies.

These tragedies ultimately lead his protagonist onto the next phases of his life, as they do with most people. And in each phase, he rebuilds that life. And often, because of factors that have nothing to do with his own actions or beliefs, that world is destroyed, and sometimes it is destroyed, because of his actions and beliefs, but each time, he rebuilds, he realizes that he is rebuilding a better life, than the one before.

Auster displays his usual incredible sensitivity and insight. He lays out the mental processes with great aplomb. And he takes the reader through an experience that in many ways, the reader is able to use as an analogy for their own life.

This book is one of Auster's classics and all Auster fans should not miss the opportunity to read it.

Fabulous? Explain, Please

Well first of all, the plot is a doozy. Our main character is Walt, soon to be known as "Walt the Wonder Boy". He is an orphan living with his aunt and uncle in Chicago. The year is 1927. He is a little rapscallion of a boy, panhandling and working the street the best way he knew how. He is coarse, uneducated, racist, and all around unpleasant.

One day, a mysterious figure named Master Yehudi walks into Walt's life. He forces him to make a choice, to follow him and learn how to fly, or to stay in Chicago where is really isn't wanted anyway. He promises that if he can't teach Walt how to fly in 2 years time, Walt can chop his head off. Now that's a deal.

So what is any self-respecting ragamuffin to do? You take a shot at the big time. Maybe we should ask Horatio Alger, just to be on the safe side. What could be more American?

Walt travels with Master Yehudi, into the great unknown.
The story progresses from there, You get the picture?

The characters of the book are remarkable in many aspects. Although Walt is such a repugnant character at first, this leaves him plenty of room to grow into a wonderful adult. Does he do this? Kind of.

Master Yehudi is a very multi-faceted individual. One one level he is very self serving. On yet another, he cares so much about the people around him, that it almost destroys him. He knows the meaning of sacrifice. He knows about love.

Ms. Witherspoon is Master Yehudi's romantic interest. She too is multilayered. Demure and proper lady, savvy businesswoman, wonderful friend. She adds more flavor to the piece.

This is a great book to relax with on a rainy day. It is entertaining at the forefront, but is also packed with adventures, developing emotions, eccentric characters, and so much more, but try it for yourself. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Auster, but very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition," a funny, highly entertaining little novel I can't stop thinking about.