Auster, Paul: 1947 - 2024

The Music of Chance, 1990 - Thematic Parallels: Illusion of Free Will

Auster, Paul: The Music of Chance, 1990, ~210pp
The novel is very philosophical, examining how chance and randomness shape human existence, the illusion of free will, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.
The following books are thematically simliar. Having read The Music of Chance, these texts lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Gaines, Ernest J.: A Lesson Before Dying, 1993, ~250pp
  The novel raises questions about the extent to which individuals can exercise free will under oppressive circumstances.
  Both novels explore how individuals confront forces beyond their control—whether systemic racism and legal injustice or capricious luck and wealth or racism and injustice in Gaines, randomness and absurdity in Auster.
- Greene, Graham: The Quiet American, 1955, ~190pp
  The novel explores complexities of moral choices and the consequences of actions taken under the guise of idealism. It questions the autonomy of individuals in the face of political and ideological forces.
  Both works explore how individuals are caught in larger systems beyond their control, whether political, social, or random chance, questioning the illusion of control. While "The Quiet American" is grounded in Cold War politics and colonial Vietnam and "The Music of Chance" is a more abstract exploration of randomness and fate in contemporary America, both novels share a deep engagement with the unpredictability of life, moral complexity, and the limits of individual agency.
- Orwell, George: Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1949, ~320pp
  This novel talks about the dangers of unchecked government power, focusing on how an authoritarian regime controls every aspect of life, including thought, language, and history.
  Both works explore themes of control, fate, and the fragility of individual autonomy, but they do so in very different ways and contexts. While "Nineteen Eighty-Four" dramatizes overt, political domination and loss of freedom, "The Music of Chance" reveals how less visible, subtle forces—chance, fate, and social power—can similarly confine and crush the individual.
- Rhue, Morton: The Wave, 1981, ~100pp
  This novel is based on a real-life classroom experiment that explores groupthink and the loss of individual autonomy within societal movements.
  Both works explore themes of control, fate, and human behavior. Yet "The Wave" is more concrete and direct in exploring social psychology and authoritarianism’s dangers, while "The Music of Chance" is more abstract, pondering existential randomness and the human desire for meaning amid chaos.
List of general discussion questions on illusion of free will (pdf)
List of essay prompts on illusion of free will (pdf)