4 3 2 1

A Novel

By: Paul Auster

Narrated by: Paul Auster

"...listening to 4 3 2 1 in audio is worth the commitment, thanks to the author’s easy-on-the-ears baritone" — Newsday

This program is narrated by—and includes a bonus interview with—the author.

Paul Auster’s greatest, most heartbreaking and satisfying novel—a sweeping and surprising story of birthright and possibility, of love and of life itself: a masterpiece.

Nearly two weeks early, on March 3, 1947, in the maternity ward of Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, Archibald Isaac Ferguson, the one and only child of Rose and Stanley Ferguson, is born. From that single beginning, Ferguson’s life will take four simultaneous and independent fictional paths. Four identical Fergusons made of the same DNA, four boys who are the same boy, go on to lead four parallel and entirely different lives. Family fortunes diverge. Athletic skills and sex lives and friendships and intellectual passions contrast. Each Ferguson falls under the spell of the magnificent Amy Schneiderman, yet each Amy and each Ferguson have a relationship like no other. Meanwhile, listeners will take in each Ferguson’s pleasures and ache from each Ferguson’s pains, as the mortal plot of each Ferguson’s life rushes on.

As inventive and dexterously constructed as anything Paul Auster has ever written, yet with a passion for realism and a great tenderness and fierce attachment to history and to life itself that listeners have never heard from Auster before. 4 3 2 1 is a marvelous and unforgettably affecting tour de force.

©2017 Paul Auster (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"[Paul] Auster's deep understanding of his characters, soothing baritone, and skillful pacing...deliver an immensely satisfying experience overall for listeners" -AudioFile Magazine

"[Paul] Auster’s compelling, mesmerizing voice so embodies all the Fergusons that “4321” is ...worth an entire week’s worth of listening." -Winston-Salem Journal

"[L]istening to “4 3 2 1” in audio is worth the commitment, thanks to the author’s easy-on-the-ears baritone." -Newsday

Narrated by the author

English is not my native language so getting through the book on my own would have been a struggle. The story is so well written (i.e. told) that listening to the author telling it seemed just as it was meant to be. Thank you Mr. Paul Auster.

Gift that keeps giving

An incredible book. An incredible performance by author Paul Auster, who has such a great voice. 37 hours -- this one feels like the gift that keeps on giving.

Starts Out Great...

then ambled further than even a patient me could sometimes tolerate. The writing was very good, but some serious tightening of the story and extensive editing were needed. I did enjoy quite a few parts, nevertheless, so it was still worth a listen.

Brilliant historical fiction at its luminous best

It took a loooong time to finish, however was well worth it. Auster weaves a brilliant 4-part coming-of-age narrative about a NY-area Boomer, with poignancy and power. A must for all lovers of NYC and of Auster.

Could not put this down!

I fell in love with the characters, and their different iterations. They all sprang to life inside my car while I was driving or when I was walking on the streets. I enjoyed the historical backdrop. I was still very young during the tumultuous late 50’s and 60’s. But I’m aware of how there was so much going on then. All in all a satisfying read and the fact that it was narrated by the author made me feel like he was reading it to me. This alone felt like a treat.

A masterful work

Paul Auster is the best author of or times. This is a well-crafted, mind exercising story, which will entertain and move. Paul’s relaxing, skilled voice adds an even greater level of quality to the audiobook. I can’t recommend listening to this book highly enough.

great epic for the baby boomers

from the origin of his love for baseball to the evolution of what became the defining moments of the 60's and 70's, traveling with Archie (s) was so involving that coming to the end feels sad. I will be sharing this with my friends so I can piggyback on what I expect to be similar excitement.

This was best listening experience of my life.

This was best listening experience of my life. I know that I will come back someday to relive the experience. Thank you Mr Auster.

Fantastic idea but Mr. Auster needs a more aggressive editor

I love the idea for this book and I couldn’t wait to read it. I eventually finished it but it was a colossal challenge. Fir starters, there is WAY too much detail. This often reads more like the diary of someone afflicted with OCD than a novel. I understand the author wrote the first draft out in longhand. Maybe it’s too heartbreaking to delete once you’ve put all that effort in. Who knows but good grief, enough with the minutiae! At one point he goes through an elaborate explanation of his finances and why he may not have enough money for school. Egads! I almost fell asleep! There are far too many lists-favourite actors, least favourite vegetables etc...
Aside from the minutiae, there is the possibly related problem of TMI, especially with respect to body fluids. I’m reading to escape the stress and drudgery of daily life. The last thing I want to hear about is an analysis of the pus from someone ‘s pimples. The semen descriptions literally made me nauseous.
Another problem I had was how falsely convenient the plot often became. I was absolutely prepared to suspend my disbelief to allow for the parallel universes or whatever but many of the plot developments struck me as a bit lazy: Archie is broke and suddenly money falls into his lap from highly unlikely sources. Or Archie is having trouble being admitted to school or finding a job but then, by some miraculous twist of fate, everything works out. Meh.
Finally, I figured out about halfway through the book that the four Archies (well 3 of them anyway) are fatty-haters. I don’t know if Mr. Auster has a prejudice or if that was just something with which he imbued his protagonists but it’s mean spirited and it comes through loud and clear. Mr. Auster writes admirably of the sixties, reminding us that the absence of racism was not always applauded but his fatty-hate—and I am by no means equating racism with obesity prejudice—is still troubling.
Spoiler Alert: the portion below contains spoilers. I wish, however, that I’d had this information before I purchased the book. I doubt I’d have selected it. But if you are intent on reading the book, you should probably stop reading now.
I almost abandoned the effort but having made it about two thirds of the way through by the time I was sure about the fatty-hate, I felt as though I were giving up. So I did finish it. The very, very end of the book (what I’m guessing in print would be the last couple of pages) were perhaps the best in the whole book. The author’s voice becomes clear and he explains the story. One could argue that this kind of internal self reflection is nothing more than navel-gazing but I loved it. It almost made listening to the preceding 37 hours worth it.
I chose this book because I thought the idea was interesting and the structure unique. I did enjoy those aspects very much. But I thought I was about to hear the story of a person’s life (well 4 people’s lives.) (Here comes the spoiler-final warning) But none of the Archies makes it past his mid twenties. I don’t want to spoil it too much so suffice it to say these are the stories of boys. If you are interested in listening to almost 40 hours of extremely detailed descriptions of four iterations of a boy’s life from early childhood to early twenties, then this is the book for you. Personally, I’m more interested in hearing the stories of people who have lived long enough to have some adventures and learn a thing or two.
As for the narration, I love authors who do their own readings and I actually thought Mr Auster had a very nice voice. True, it is not as slick and smooth, not as capable of flawless enunciation as many “professionals” but I thought his voice was very pleasing and his performance authentic.

drivel

Narration is monotone. Story is hard to follow. Main character starts young and has an arrogant and unrealistic knowledge​ if the world around him.

couldn't finish.