By Paul Auster
Deeply distraught over the recent deaths of his wife and two children in a plane crash, Prof. David Zimmer turns on the TV one night and laughs at a movie clip starring silent screen actor Hector Mann, who disappeared in 1929. Writing a book on Mann's films lifts Zimmer's spirits, but after it is published the academic is shocked to receive a letter saying Mann is alive, has read the book and wants to meet Zimmer. Their relationship develops into a labyrinthine tale. Auster, author of the 1999 bestseller Timbuktu, is a maze master with an exceptional eye. Of Mann's mustache, he observes, "Even though it speaks a language without words, its wriggles and flutters are as clear and comprehensible as a message tapped out in Morse code." That controlled prose perfectly matches the mood of emotionally damaged characters feeling their way toward stability. (Holt, $24)
Bottom Line: Pure magic
Your Reaction
