Missing Persons

The themes of absence pervade all the works in this unsettling, unusual collection. In "The Poster, a German bank director, strolling through a park in Vienna, adds his name to a list of missing persons, thereby writing himself out of his humdrum life. Boarding a train to Venice, his travels intersect with that of a hooded stranger. The title character of "The New Tenant mesmerizes the old concierge with his mysterious comings and goings. And in "In Defence of Nothingness, the illness of a talented boy and the lack of communication within a family ends in a horrific climax.