Paloma, a B2 ESL learner at EOI Luarca, recommends this book by the famous American writer.
The narrator of this story is David Zimmer, a
literature professor who has recently lost his wife and two sons in a
tragic plane crash. He escapes from the world and spends his days drinking and watching
television. He divorced society, quit his job and broke all contact with the
people in his life.
One day he laughed while he was watching a Hector Mann's movie on television. That moment made him
realize that there was still something inside him that wanted to live and he
realized he needed something to occupy his mind with. So he decides to write a book
about Hestor Mann and his movies. However Davis is unable to explain Hector Mann's disappearance in 1929.
Aparently there was no
reason to disappear, Hector Mann has a promising career, he was handsome and popular
with women. After publishing the
book a friend from the past called and asked him to do a traslation of a French
writer, Chateaubriand. David Zimmer also received a letter from Frida Spelling
claiming to be Hector Mann's wife. She said she had read the book and wanted to
know if he would like to come to New Mexico and meet Hector.
David initially believed the letter to be a fraud,
someone playing a joke on him.
But he received more letters and he started thinking maybe Hector Mann was still alive. Soon a woman
called Alma arrived at his house to take him to New Mexico to see Hector by
force if necessary. Alma told David Hestor Mann's story and why he had disappeared,
how he had caused the death of
a woman he loved, he had run away and assumed a new identity. After several jobs he
started working in his lover's family. That set him on the road once more.
At the same time we are following two different
stories: the story of Alma and David and the story of Hector and Frida
Spelling. Both Hector Mann and
David Zimmer are caught up in tragic and destructive events and both are
seeking to find peace, to find a way to live with themselves and the world.
It is a thought provoking and emotionally stimulating
novel. Auster makes the story easy to read and the story holds your interest.
On one hand I find the
detailed descriptions of Hector Mann's films tiresome, on the other hand it is
an enjoyable story. On the whole I found reading The Book of Illusions entertaining and
stimulating.
