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Loading... The Artist of the Missing: A Novel (1999)by Paul La Farge
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  juniperSun | Jan 19, 2019 |   Themes of this quiet novel include the nature of memory, storytelling, and human connection. It’s got a lot of potential and a well constructed atmosphere, but I felt something lacking in the second half, like I wasn’t quite sure what it all added up to. Inspirations clearly include Borges, Paul Auster, Kafka, and ETA Hoffmann. Good but not achieving what I think it could have. (  ) sansmerci | Apr 28, 2018 | An interesting novel which charts the adventures of a young sketch-artist in a strange city where people are mysteriously going missing at an alarming rate. There's a love of storytelling to be found here, or should I say yarnspinning, for all is not quite as it seems. The city (a familiar yet transfigured place) appears to be overshadowed by a kind of mythical nonchalance, and a criticism might be that there's a prevailing ambiguity to the narrative which some might find fey or quirky. Overall, though, it's a nicely written book, and within its pages the reader will find an enchanting atmosphere of quiet intrigue. (  ) BlackGlove | Jan 29, 2018 | no reviews | add a review
Frank, a young artist, arrives in the city hoping to unravel the mystery of his parents' disappearance. He begins working as a washer of robes at a hotel for itinerant judges. There he meets and falls in love with Prudence, a forensic photographer whose pictures reveal the secrets of the dead. When Prudence disappears, Frank sets out in search of her, a quest that leads him into the shadowy world of a revolutionary salon, then to prison, and finally to discover the city's strange secrets and the secrets of his own heart. A haunting novel, The Artist of the Missing is a stunning debut, both a richly imagined evocation of another world and a piercing examination of the mystery of love, and beautifully illustrated by the acclaimed artist Stephen Alcorn. A visionary novel about love, loss, imagination, and despair. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.79)
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I didn't finish this--gave up at p.43. It was too much like those Russian novels where the protagonist thinks a lot but not much happens...or even if it does, it comes across as pretty passive. (