I just finished this novella and I cannot believe how great it is. It has filled me with an incredible jolt of elation. I'm rejuvinated by it. It's electric! Seriously - I closed the cover simply stunned - and laughing. It's a wonderful game and Mr. Auster has allowed us all to be complicit in his trick. Each and every reader takes part in his diabolical/hilarious attempt to pull off the impossible - eternal life. BRAVO. I'll be stunned for weeks.
I love all of the other books but I hated this with a passion - I thought it was lazy meaningless self-referential nonsense. If it means that he's got some older stuff out of his system before moving on with something then okay, I guess, but I thought it was just terrible.