Celebrated author Paul Auster, known for his highly stylized, postmodernist fiction, has passed away at the age of 77, following complications from lung cancer. Auster’s writing career began at a young age, carrying a pencil everywhere he went from the age of eight.
Themes of chance, coincidence, and fate often permeated Auster’s work, influenced by a lightning strike he witnessed as a teenager. He studied at Columbia University before moving to Paris, where he met his wife and fellow writer Lydia Davis.
Auster’s breakthrough came with the publication of City of Glass in 1985, which was the first novel in his acclaimed New York Trilogy. Throughout his career, he published a number of novels including Moon Palace, The Music of Chance, The Book of Illusions, and Oracle Night.
While Auster was more popular in Europe than in the US, he received prestigious awards such as Spain’s Prince of Asturias prize for literature. Tragedy struck the Auster family in April 2022 when his son Daniel passed away from a drug overdose, and in March 2023, his wife Siri Hustvedt revealed he was being treated for cancer.
Auster is survived by his wife, daughter Sophie, sister Janet, and grandson. His literary contributions have left a lasting impact on readers around the world, and his unique storytelling legacy will continue to be celebrated and remembered by fans of literature.
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