If you enjoy reading books by Paul Auster then you might also like the following authors:
Don DeLillo is an author known for exploring modern life and its complexities. One of his standout books is “White Noise.” It’s about a college professor named Jack Gladney, who teaches Hitler studies.
Jack’s life takes a strange turn when an airborne toxic event disrupts his town. The story dives into fears of death, family dynamics, and the constant hum of media in our lives.
Fans of Paul Auster might appreciate DeLillo’s way of blending ordinary moments with unsettling events.
Haruki Murakami is known for weaving ordinary lives with strange and mysterious events. In his novel “Kafka on the Shore,” he introduces us to Kafka, a teenage boy who runs away from home, and Mr. Nakata, an older man with a peculiar ability to talk to cats.
Their stories seem separate at first but slowly intertwine in surprising ways. The book explores themes of identity and memory while pulling readers into a world where reality and the surreal blend effortlessly.
Fans of Paul Auster’s layered, thought-provoking narratives might enjoy Murakami’s unique style of storytelling.
Italo Calvino was an Italian writer known for his imaginative and thought-provoking stories. One of his most famous books, “Invisible Cities,” is a conversation between the explorer Marco Polo and the emperor Kublai Khan.
Marco describes cities he has visited, each one extraordinary and dreamlike. Some are built on stilts above water, others are filled with mirrors that distort reality.
Readers are left wondering if these cities are real or symbolic, which makes the book feel like uncovering a puzzle with every page.
J.M. Coetzee is a South African writer known for his sharp, thoughtful storytelling that often tackles the challenges of human relationships and morality.
One of his most well-known novels, “Disgrace,” follows David Lurie, a professor whose life unravels after an affair with one of his students. Forced to leave his job, he moves to his daughter’s farm in post-apartheid South Africa.
There, he faces a brutal act of violence that changes their lives and lays bare the tensions and inequality still embedded in the country. The story reveals the weight of guilt, redemption, and personal responsibility in ways that stick with you long after reading.
Roberto Bolaño is a writer known for blending mystery, literature, and human connections. His novel “The Savage Detectives” begins with two poets starting a literary movement in Mexico City, searching for an elusive poet who disappeared decades earlier.
The story moves across years and continents, weaving the lives of people they meet along the way. It’s full of eccentric characters, secrets, and unexpected turns, offering a journey through obsession and art.
Fans of Paul Auster might enjoy how Bolaño crafts stories that explore chance encounters and lives that intersect in strange ways.
Kazuo Ishiguro is known for crafting stories that linger in the mind long after you finish them. In his novel “The Remains of the Day,” he tells the story of Stevens, an English butler who reflects on his life while taking a road trip through the countryside.
The book explores themes of duty, missed opportunities, and personal loyalty as Stevens recalls his years of service to a nobleman whose moral choices were deeply flawed.
The tone is quiet and introspective, with a focus on memory and regret, which might remind readers of Paul Auster’s ability to weave past and present together in deeply personal ways.
David Mitchell is an author known for his inventive stories that often weave together multiple characters and timelines.
One of his most fascinating novels is “Cloud Atlas,” where six different narratives span centuries, from a 19th-century sailor’s diary to a post-apocalyptic future. Each story connects subtly to the others, creating a sense of a shared universe.
Readers who enjoy Paul Auster’s layered storytelling and themes of chance might find Mitchell’s work equally intriguing.
Patrick Modiano is a French writer known for exploring themes of identity and memory. His novel “Dora Bruder” tells the story of the author’s obsession with an old newspaper ad he discovers. It’s a missing person notice from 1941 about a young Jewish girl named Dora Bruder.
Modiano pieces together fragments of her life while reflecting on his own memories and the dark period of Nazi-occupied Paris. The book blends personal reflection with historical traces, creating a haunting connection to the past.
Samuel Beckett was an Irish writer known for his sharp wit and unique take on the human condition. His novel “Murphy” tells the story of a man searching for meaning in a world that feels chaotic and indifferent.
Murphy spends much of his time trying to avoid the pressures of life, choosing idleness over action. There’s a dark humor to his attempts at finding peace, including a stint at a psychiatric hospital where he hopes to escape both work and responsibility.
Fans of Paul Auster might appreciate how Beckett explores individuals grappling with identity and purpose in ways that are sometimes bleak but oddly fascinating.
Richard Powers is an author who often weaves science, history, and human emotion into his stories. His novel “The Overstory” explores the deep connections between people and trees.
The book follows several characters whose lives are shaped, in surprising ways, by the natural world around them. There’s a scientist who discovers the secret language of trees and an artist who turns into an environmental activist after surviving a near-death experience.
The stories connect, showing how trees silently nurture life and how people respond to what’s slowly vanishing. It’s a story rooted in the beauty and fragility of the natural world.
Jonathan Lethem is an author who blends imaginative concepts with characters that feel real and grounded. One of his standout novels, “Motherless Brooklyn,” follows Lionel Essrog, a man working as a detective in Brooklyn while living with Tourette’s syndrome.
The story is filled with Lionel’s sharp, often funny inner voice, as he investigates the murder of his mentor, Frank Minna. It mixes gritty streets with an offbeat sense of humanity, creating a world that’s unpredictable yet oddly familiar at the same time.
Julio Cortázar was an Argentine writer known for his inventive and playful approach to storytelling. One of his most famous works, “Hopscotch,” is a novel that breaks traditional structure.
The reader can choose the order in which to read the chapters, creating a unique experience. It follows Horacio Oliveira, a restless and intellectual man living between Paris and Buenos Aires, as he navigates complex relationships and searches for meaning.
The book mixes poetry, art, and philosophy, drawing you into its experimental narrative style. It transforms the act of reading into something interactive and surprising.
Thomas Pynchon is known for his detailed and layered novels that mix mystery and wit. In “The Crying of Lot 49”, a woman named Oedipa Maas gets named executor of an ex-boyfriend’s estate. While sorting through his affairs, she stumbles upon what might be a secret postal system.
The more she investigates, the stranger and more tangled the events around her become. The book pulls readers into an offbeat world full of paranoia and hidden clues, making it a fascinating puzzle to piece together.
Javier Marías was a Spanish author known for his thoughtful and layered storytelling. One of his most intriguing books is “A Heart So White.” The story follows Juan, a newlywed translator, whose life takes a sharp turn after uncovering a family secret.
The novel explores relationships, trust, and the weight of things people choose to hide. Marías weaves in questions about how well we can really know the people closest to us. It’s a story that lingers, connecting moments of quiet reflection with unexpected discoveries.
Readers who appreciate Paul Auster’s focus on coincidence and memory might enjoy Marías’ way of unfolding a narrative.
Amor Towles writes stories that blend thoughtful characters with a strong sense of place. His novel, “A Gentleman in Moscow,” centers on Count Alexander Rostov, a man sentenced to live in a grand Moscow hotel after the Russian Revolution.
Though confined within the building, the Count builds relationships and uncovers beauty in the smallest details of life. The book captures the quiet persistence of finding meaning and connection, even in a restricted world.