Siri Hustvedt's new book 'A Book About Ghosts: A Love Memoir' is about grief after Paul Auster, who died of cancer in 2024. According to official sources, Hustvedt and Auster were married for 43 years, and the book's title partly refers to Auster's letters and notes being included in the text. According to SVT Kultur, Hustvedt described feeling Auster's presence at home in Brooklyn the same day the family buried him, noting that while he was sick, he always said he wanted to come back as a ghost. She also described working on the book as an expression of a deep desire to keep him, a desire for resurrection, and mentioned that there are funny parts in the book where she laughed while writing to relive fine moments together.
Hustvedt debuted as a poet in 1983, according to official sources, and had her major breakthrough nine years later with the novel 'The Blindfold'. She has since written several novels and essay collections, with her novel 'What I Loved' published in 2003, according to major media reports. Major media also describes her new book as a small jewel about their shared life, literary creation, and political engagement, and it is listed as one of the books you should not miss in week 14.
But there are also funny parts in the book. I laughed sometimes while I wrote because I got to relive many fine moments we had together.
Between 30 and 60 percent of those who have lost someone close experience clear hallucinations or feel a presence, according to official sources. According to SVT Kultur, Hustvedt described this as common but often unspoken due to fears of being considered mad, though she sees it as a gift from her nervous system. The exact date of Auster's death in 2024 remains unspecified, and details about the specific political engagements Hustvedt and Auster were involved in are not provided. The full list of friends and enemies mentioned, such as Salman Rushdie and Donald Trump, and the nature of those relationships, is unclear, as is how the book is structured and what specific content from Auster's letters and notes is included. The critical reception and sales performance of Hustvedt's new book have not been reported.
Working on the book was also an expression of a deep desire to keep him, a desire for resurrection.
I lay down on the bed to rest and felt his presence, first on the stairs and then next to me.
While he was sick he always said that he wanted to come back as a ghost.
This is very common, between 30 and 60 percent of those who have lost someone close see clear hallucinations or feel a presence. But one does not talk about it because it is considered madness. But it is not madness. I see it as a gift from my nervous system.