Tag Archives: writing

The Monday Book – Baumgartner by Paul Auster

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Guest review by Janelle Bailey, avid reader and always learning; sometimes substitute teaching, sometimes grandbabysitting, sometimes selling books

Baumgartner by Paul Auster

Baumgartner by Paul Auster

I no longer know or recall exactly what my introduction to Paul Auster was, as it was many years ago and many Paul Auster books ago. I just counted six of them in my personal library. And I believe that it was in 2009 when I first visited New York City and found myself on a Soundwalk–an audio-driven self-led walking tour–that was narrated by Paul Auster, and from then his voice represented for me all that was…is…New York City.

Baumgartner is Auster’s newest, and it is a wonderful book. Baumgartner is a professor emeritus, long-time tenured university professor, who is ten years beyond the death of his beloved wife, Anna, and still mourning the loss, grieving the hole she left. But he isn’t wallowing in a pitiful place; rather, he brings Anna back to life through his memories and reminiscence as well as all that she has left behind.

This is a beautiful, fully philosophical pondering on aging and grief, life and living it fully. It’s about what keeps–or can–those who are aging from growing old.

There’s a little Baumgartner in each of us, I think. And I found this sweet 200-page book to be smart, wise, and full of inspiration for making good things happen with what we have in front of us.

Seeing each day as an opportunity, from the moment that we awaken, to address what we have, rather than what we have not, and to do our best with “that” each and every day is just one message I took from this book. Love is beautiful. And a life spent loving as well as to love living it is a precious gift…but moreso a choice.

Paul Auster is a wise guy…of the very best kind. Every reader benefits from meeting Baumgartner and taking even a little direction from him.

Come back next Monday for another book review!

Life Is A Gas–

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Jack gets in over the wire again in time – –

A few weeks ago in a previous post I mentioned that our gas furnace had stopped working. A very nice and obviously competent young engineer got it working, but a week later it stopped again, so he came back, carried out a more ‘in depth’ inspection and got it working again. At that point he suggested, in the tones of a cheerful funeral conductor, that time until we would be calling again might not be long; would we like to talk parts or full replacement?

We moved here over four years ago, and I always assumed that the furnace was fairly new. But it seems I was wrong; it’s probably over twenty years old and nearing the point where other things could need fixing. So we faced the same dilemma everyone does from time to time: soldier on with repairs to the existing unit or bite the bullet and have it replaced with a new one.

Enter our second engineer, who carried out another inspection, which happily revealed that the duct work throughout our (very old) house was fine, and so was the air conditioning unit. So we would only need a new furnace, and there was easy access to the basement. He also petted our cats, commented on the wine fermenting and the canning going on in the kitchen, all the stuff.

Were we being softened up? No, because as it turns out, we mentioned something about using their company once before, perhaps three years ago, and not being entirely comfortable with the condescension of the person who came.

“Oh, yeah,” said our new friend, Will. “That’s the guy who doesn’t work for us anymore. He was infamous.”

The company had apparently learned its lesson, as the two lads who came this time were excellent communicators throughout and explained things thoroughly without trying to ‘hard sell’ us a new unit. They both sat with us and patiently went through the pros and cons of our decision, one way or the other.

The decision, in the end, is personal to us. Everyone has to make their own decision in these moments, but we are confident we got all the advice we needed to make the right one.

Speaking of advice, I bless the fact that Wendy nag– er– persuaded me we should install a log stove three years ago. Until now it has been an occasional luxury. Right now it’s our main source of heat and working well…

…and the engineers complimented us on our cozy home, leaving their warmth as well.

Come back next Wednesday for more from Jack