NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A “compelling” (Los Angeles Times) novel of friendship, betrayal, estrangement, and the unpredictable intrusions of violence in the everyday—from “a literary original who is perfecting a genre of his own” (The Wall Street Journal)
“Rich and complex . . . with fully fleshed characters, a fast-paced plot, thematic sophistication, and narrative cunning.”—The Boston Globe
“Six days ago, a man blew himself up by the side of a road in northern Wisconsin.”
So begins Peter Aaron’s story about his best friend, Benjamin Sachs. Sachs had a marriage Aaron envied, an intelligence he admired, a world he shared. And then suddenly, after a near-fatal fall that might or might not have been intentional, Sachs disappeared. Now Aaron must piece together the life that led to Sach’s death. His sole aim is to tell the truth and preserve it—before those who are investigating the case invent an account of their own.
Leviathan is a daring and immensely moving story by an author whom The Times Literary Supplement has called “one of America’s most spectacularly inventive writers.”
WINNER Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Award
“Rich and complex . . . with fully fleshed characters, a fast-paced plot, thematic sophistication, and narrative cunning.”—The Boston Globe
“The allure of Auster’s elegant plotting, the play of his ideas, and the sensuous nature of the prose keep us firmly hooked.”—The Chicago Tribune
“Auster’s most accessible, engaging book. He treats us to his best, clear-eyed prose.”—The New York Times Magazine
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
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.
View titles by Paul Auster
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A “compelling” (Los Angeles Times) novel of friendship, betrayal, estrangement, and the unpredictable intrusions of violence in the everyday—from “a literary original who is perfecting a genre of his own” (The Wall Street Journal)
“Rich and complex . . . with fully fleshed characters, a fast-paced plot, thematic sophistication, and narrative cunning.”—The Boston Globe
“Six days ago, a man blew himself up by the side of a road in northern Wisconsin.”
So begins Peter Aaron’s story about his best friend, Benjamin Sachs. Sachs had a marriage Aaron envied, an intelligence he admired, a world he shared. And then suddenly, after a near-fatal fall that might or might not have been intentional, Sachs disappeared. Now Aaron must piece together the life that led to Sach’s death. His sole aim is to tell the truth and preserve it—before those who are investigating the case invent an account of their own.
Leviathan is a daring and immensely moving story by an author whom The Times Literary Supplement has called “one of America’s most spectacularly inventive writers.”
Awards
WINNER Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Award
Reviews
“Rich and complex . . . with fully fleshed characters, a fast-paced plot, thematic sophistication, and narrative cunning.”—The Boston Globe
“The allure of Auster’s elegant plotting, the play of his ideas, and the sensuous nature of the prose keep us firmly hooked.”—The Chicago Tribune
“Auster’s most accessible, engaging book. He treats us to his best, clear-eyed prose.”—The New York Times Magazine
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
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.
View titles by Paul Auster
