THE BROOKLYN FOLLIES

As always, Auster can't help being incredibly smart even when he's writing plot-driven fiction, nor can he avoid being funny, sad, wise, or goofy, often in the same sentence. Having this story in Auster's own warm, gravelly voice is a great plus. His reading isn't perfect, any more than his characters are, but it is deeply engaging. The setup: Nathan Glass, sick, divorced, and estranged from his daughter, moves to Brooklyn to die, only to find himself back in the swim when he runs across a favorite nephew similarly floundering in a Brooklyn backwater who seems to need avuncular support. Technical difficulties: The recording's sound level is annoyingly low. Otherwise, enormous fun. B.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]