Mr. Vertigo is the life story of an urchin (Walter Claireborne Rawley, a.k.a., Walt the Wonder Boy) from the streets of 1920s St. Louis, who, through the most horrific processes imaginable, is taught to levitate by an eccentric Hungarian Jew, the Master Yehudi. After working out a routine, a performance of sorts, the two take their show on the road and the urchin becomes one of those oddities that Americans love to hold close to their hearts, an almost-national treasure. When he loses his ability to levitate at puberty, his life begins a metaphorical downward spiral, forming the basis for the plot of Mr. Vertigo.
Although some of the events in the book take place in crowded places, the teller ability to create an intimacy between the reader and the figures , makes this story personal, like reading someones journal…
For those who like the books of George Orwell (1984, Down and out in London and Paris, Animal Farm, Keep the Aspidistra flying) , this book will be a trip to read.
“Mr. Vertigo” by Paul Auster – from Amazon.com
