Hi there, I am reading the Music of Chance, and as usual when I have an Auster's piece of art, I nearly can't stand its solitude feeling. Auster describes a different world, or is that the America Americans live in?
I think no matter where you live, lonely people exist in every corner of the globe. Take the Algerian writer, Camus for instance, or the German writer Herman Hesse- they have written books on solitary lives where the narrator is in some kind of predicament with no one to turn to. It is not just Americans, although to be honest, I do feel that Europeans have a more carefree way of life, understanding how to enjoy life with 4-5 weeks of paid vacations, and Americans seem to isolate themselves with their work (2 week vacations are unheard of unless you've worked 10+ years in the same company).