Auster and Coetzee had apparently been fans of each others work for years, but only met in 2008. They then started a wide-ranging and intelligent correspondence through which they became great friends. The warmth and mutual respect they feel for each other is always apparent as they discuss everything from the financial crisis, fatherhood, sport, philosophy, politics, art and film, to the difficulties of promoting their work. It's a fascinating insight into the minds of two of the current generation of great writers. I guess it helps to be a fan of at least one of the two writers; I've never read Coetzee, but have been a Paul Auster fan for some time, and reading these letters does cast new light on the experience of reading the fiction. An unexpected pleasure.