Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy comics review

Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy: The Graphic Adaptation. By Paul Karasik. Lorenzo Mattotti. David Mazzucchelli. 400 pp. New York: Pantheon.  2025. $35.

From City of Glass.

In the case of world-renown writer Paul Auster (1947-2024), one preternatural talent deserves another. That is what happened when his post-modern noir novella, City of Glass was adapted into a graphic novel and published in 1994. The original prose novel is part of a series, The New York Trilogy: published sequentially as City of Glass (1985), Ghosts (1986) and The Locked Room (1986).

Neon Lit edition, 1994.

When the graphic novel of City of Glass came out in 1994, by Avon imprint, Neon Lit, the comics adaptation by Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli became a word-of-mouth sensation. It was many years in the making with many years leading up to it. A lot of the leading-up-work involved comics artist Art Spiegelman (Maus, 1986) and his attempts to get out in front of the emerging “graphic novel” market. Surely there was a way for serious prose novelists to be involved with serious graphic novels. As series designer for Neon Lit, Spiegelman fought the good fight. Fast forward to 2025, we are collectively more than ready for “serious graphic novels,” and now we have a new book that includes the original City of Glass comics adaptation and completes the trilogy with new adaptations of the other two books. That is quite an undertaking to say the least and the results are impressive.

Excerpt from City of Glass.

Any really great comics adaptation will not attempt to directly compete with the source material but bring in something new, something that only the comics medium can offer. What’s fascinating in this case is that Paul Karasik, the mastermind behind this work, not only found a distinctive comics path from the Auster source material back when he was art director and David Mazzucchelli was the comics artist. But then, decades later, Karasik would have to strike a chord, but not be overwhelmed by his previous accomplishment, the comics adaptation of City of Glass, such an iconic landmark work. Is that even possible? Yes, absolutely. Paul Karasik did it again as art director to Lorenzo Mattotti’s comics artist; and, ultimately, when in charge of his  own adaptation of the final story.

From City of Glass.

You can enjoy a comics adaptation on its own. However, keep in mind, that if you read the original work, you get that much more out of the experience. At least, you should know a few things. We’re dealing here with a funhouse of ideas about storytelling: narrators and unreliable narrators; the role of a story; the very nature of words. These comics are adapting the work of Paul Auster, a masterful writer with a keen talent and temperament for Magical Realism and Post-Modern experimentation. Let’s first take a look back at the City of Glass comics adaptation and how it tapped into this peculiar and surreal terrain.

Post-Modern Paul Auster: The author inside his own novel.

City of Glass, the comics version, jumps right out of the gate. There are so many ideas bubbling around and perhaps the most compelling is the existential quandary of having to be inside one’s head, needing and desiring to be there, while also wishing to run as far away from one’s self as possible. And how does one fully express this most bizarre, contradictory and human condition? Visual metaphors will get us part of the way but then it’s up to the comics artist to take it further which certainly happens in all three of these stories. Just keep in mind that all of this is an exercise in subverting the classic detective story. These are mysteries that go well beyond mysteries, asking more questions than ever providing answers.

Page from City of Glass.

There’s a scene in City of Glass that you can argue is quintessential to the story’s concerns: it is in the second chapter and is condensed into a set of pages in the comics version that evoke the struggle to tell any story, to form any thought. The character is a young man who has been abused and can barely articulate anything. The tails to the word balloons he emits are jabbed down his throat, powerfully evoking his struggles. Those same word balloon tails navigate their way through human history and humanity’s collective struggle to communicate.

From Ghosts.

That same energy, with a distinctive twist, can be found in the next story, Ghosts. Lorenzo Mattotti leans towards his strengths as an illustrator and painter of full-throated dramatic images. So, the rhythm tends to be one of powerful image balanced with powerful prose, back and forth, at an intoxicating pace. So, yeah, it works. I mean, where does one go after David Mazzucchelli? Karasik goes with Mattotti to tap into all the dark urban angst in a thoroughly different way.

From The Locked Room.

And, finally, we come to the last story, The Locked Room. Paul Karasik has placed himself in the very best company and he delivers. Known for his light pencil work (The New Yorker, The New York Times), Karasik’s more subdued approach can still cut to the quick in depicting any given character’s foibles. One particularly poignant moment has the main character feeling rather smothered by his flirtatious hostess and finds himself surrounded by all the word balloons she creates from her excessive chatter. It’s enough for him to nearly float away on all the hot air packed away.

Post-Modern Diner: as gritty as a Modern Diner.

The New York Trilogy is many things, none the least of which is a highly stimulating look at who we are and/or who we claim to be. This new comics adaptation of all three stories is definitely the big treat of the year for anyone who loves great fiction and great comics. Comics scholar Bill Kartalopoulos once said at a symposium many years ago: “City of Glass more than most of the graphic novels that have been published over the last dozen years or so is a book that makes all the right choices.” Well, that can certainly be said of this remarkable collection.