Paul Auster, the prolific American novelist renowned for his works such as “The New York Trilogy,” has passed away at the age of 77 due to complications from lung cancer, as confirmed by a friend of the novelist to AFP.
Auster breathed his last on Tuesday evening at his residence in Brooklyn, surrounded by his family, including his wife Siri Hustvedt and daughter Sophie Auster, as disclosed in a statement by his friend and fellow author Jacki Lyden to AFP.
Throughout his career, Auster garnered acclaim for his noirish, existentialist novels delving into themes of solitude, existentialism, and the lives of outsiders and marginalized individuals, which resonated profoundly in Europe.
He rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, achieving cult status with his “New York Trilogy,” a series of metaphysical mysteries, and his acclaimed film “Smoke,” which explored the lives of individuals who frequented a Brooklyn tobacco shop.
Hustvedt, herself an esteemed author, had revealed in March 2023 that Auster had been diagnosed with cancer, marking a challenging period for the literary couple.
Auster’s literary oeuvre navigates the realm between the middlebrow and the highbrow, captivating readers with his insightful explorations of the human condition and the complexities of existence.
