"Missing Person" by Patrick Modiano (Translated by Daniel Weissbort) David R. Godine Publisher

ISBN: 9781567922813  David R. Godine Publisher

"Missing Person" by Patrick Modiano (Translated by Daniel Weissbort) David R. Godine Publisher

The occupation that took place in France during the war years, was (or is) something that people never got over, and for good reason.  20th century French literature has many novels and books about this dark time in France.   One can add "Missing Person" by Patrick Modiano in this mix as well.   The narrative is the story of a detective who is locating .... himself.    Which, also, is quite the theme for contemporary fiction.  From Kafka to Mishima, it is usually a journey to track down the "self" and where that may lead.  Here, our hero (of sorts) has a photograph or two, where he interviews numerous people who may have known him or what ever happened to him.  This novel is a bit like an espionage novel mixed in with Alain Robbe-Grillet's fiction.  It's toxic combination, but still, I found the novel a bit understated for my taste.  On the other hand, I really enjoyed his memoir.  Still, I will go onward and check out his other novels.