The Artist of the Missing

by Paul La Farge

Book Overview

A haunting novel, The Artist of the Missing is a stunning debut from Paul La Farge, both a richly imagined evocation of another world and a piercing examination of the mystery of love--beautifully illustrated by the acclaimed artist Stephen Alcorn.

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374525803
• ISBN13: 9780374525804
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux-3pl
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

"love means nothing when you live in a bird's nest"

"the artist of the missing" is good stuff. the story is filled with imagination, loneliness, curious illustrations, love and adventure. it has all the ingredients needed for a spectacular novel but doesn't follow a set pattern. the book takes twists in plot and is happily not formulaic. makes you think and wonder and realize and all that important inner stuff books should do. "the artist of the missing" is a good ride

If you don't get it, then read it again!

Like many outstanding books or even movies, I don't believethis book is something that can be fully digested in one reading.There are just so many layers of meaning, symbolism, even visual imagery that now in my second reading I'm finding so many new things that I didn't notice the first time through. Relate this to watching Kubrick. Do you really catch everything the first time? I was actually so intrigued by some of the concepts in this piece that I'm composing an orchestral work which aims to musically represent themes in the book. I noticed much criticism for the gradual change in narrative and even in the city's visual images as the book progresses. I feel however that this change is consistent with the Prologue. Notice that the dead man first notices everything, and then, the harder he looks to find the essence of the city, the more bleak his experience becomes. I feel this same progression as the book leads Frank to the prison, to the doll factory, and to the grotesque and unexplainable court system run by children. Just keep reading the book, and you'll start to see the connections!

A most excellent novel.

Despite the surrealist approach to story telling, the book moved in me in many ways. It spoke to me about the pain of loss and the futility of trying to recapture the past. The writing is clear, skillfull, exquisite. If you like Isabel Allende's work, you may like this book too.

Amazing. Such a masterful work for a 1st novel!!

I didn't get a chance to finish reading my preview copy before it was stolen out of my hands by another fan of Paul LaFarge. Bravo!!

lafarge is a young genius

WHo is this guy? This book is haunting, beautiful, and just plain good. Can't wait to read more.