"It's not about understanding. It's about not giving up," Chris declares to his comrade as he bravely rushes to save his beloved soul mate from death in limbo and a life of hell. Willy intelligently advises his sorry, failure-stricken pet, "Don't give up on men, Bonesy. You've had some hard knocks, but you've got to tough it out and give it another try" (Auster 118). In the motion picture What Dreams May Come, Chris Neilson is killed in a tragic automobile accident. In the novel Timbuktu, Willy G. Christmas dies from a deadly illness. After their deaths, Chris and Willy affect their loved ones, Annie and Mr. Bones, in many ways.

Both men's versions of life after death affect their loved ones. In Timbuktu, Willy believes that all people go to Timbuktu after the soul separates from the body. In order to get to this "oasis of spirits", one...