An old man wakes up in a strange room. We don't know anything about him, let's call him Mr. Blank. He doesn't know anything about himself either. He doesn't know where he is, how he got there. He tries to figure out who he is and what is happening to him from the handful of objects, photos, and papers he finds on the table. Mr. Blank is desperately trying to piece together the puzzle of his life, knowing that if he doesn't finish today, he can start all over again the next day.

The novel bears all the hallmarks of Auster's writings: mysterious texts, amorphous identities, a mysterious past. The stripped-down story almost feels like a lesson - the lessons of which apply to us as well.

"Auster is one of our most elegantly intellectual writers."
THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD

"Homage to the transcendence inherent in stories."
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"Auster is incredibly talented at creating worlds that are both fantastic and believable."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE