The protagonist begins to investigate the whereabouts of his old friend, Fanshawe, at the request of his wife, Sohie. The only clue is his written documents: letters, poems, diaries, and novels. He goes to almost all the places and meets most of the people mentioned in the documents. He even flies to Paris, New York, and Boston. One day he receive a letter from Fanshawe, which tells him not to pursue him or he will kill him. Despite his warning the protagonist continues to investigate the matter for several years and at last he meets him. But Fanshawe is at the opposite side of a door and he tells the protagonist not to open the door and that he has taken poison.
The story is very intriguing to the end, but very disappointing. It does not mention why Fanshawe left Sophie and his daughter. It does not tell why he does not want to meet the protagonist, or why he has to commit suicide. I had expected everything would be solved at the end of the story, but none was solved. It was a waste of time and energy. It left me in agony. （paperback 214 pages）
Paul Benjamin Auster (born February 3, 1947) is an American author known for works blending absurdism, existentialism, crime fiction and the search for identity and personal meaning.
