In the Country of Last Things - by Paul Auster (Paperback)

About the Book

Here is the story of Anna Blume, a woman who has come to an unnamed city in search of her brother. Her notebook recounts her quest in this cruel modern landscape, and through her anguished narrative, Auster presents a frightening vision of the future.

Book Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Paul Auster, a dystopian, post-apocalyptic novel "reminiscent in many ways of Orwell's 1984" (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

"Powerful, original, imaginative, and handled with artistry . . . One of the better modern attempts at describing hell."--The Washington Post Book World

In a distant and unsettling future, the masses are homeless, theft is so rampant it is no longer a crime, and death--by arranging either a suicide or an assassination--is the only way out.

It is in these circumstances that Anna Blume begins her search for her brother, a one-time journalist who may or may not still be alive, in an unnamed city whose destitute inhabitants dig through garbage and elusive government provides nothing but corruption. In her struggle to survive, Anna becomes a scavenger of objects from the past to sell for food and shelter. But she will also find friendship--and even love--in this devastated world.

In the Country of Last Things is a tour de force that reaffirms Paul Auster's stature as one of the most accomplished and singular talents of his generation.

Review Quotes

"Powerful, enigmatic, imaginative, and handled with artistry . . . One of the better modern attempts at describing hell."--The Washington Post Book World

"Reminiscent in many ways of Orwell's 1984 . . . Auster creates within these pages a place so real it could be our own country, perhaps our very own city."--The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Praise for Paul Auster:

"One of the great American prose stylists of our time."--New York Times

"Auster really does possess the wand of the enchanter."--New York Review of Books

"One of the great writers of our time."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Contemporary American writing at its best."--New York Times Book Review, on Invisible

"A literary original who is perfecting a hybrid genre of his own."--Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Paul Auster was the bestselling author of 4 3 2 1, Sunset Park, The Book of Illusions, Moon Palace, and The New York Trilogy, among many other works. In 2006, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature. His other honors include the Prix Médicis étranger for Leviathan, the Independent Spirit Award for the screenplay of Smoke, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Burning Boy, and the Carlos Fuentes Prize for his body of work. His novel 4 3 2 1 was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and was a Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His work has been translated into more than forty languages. Paul Auster died in 2024.