--- product_id: 6760048 title: "Missing Person (Verba Mundi Book) Paperback – March 11, 2005" brand: "patrick modianodaniel weissbort" price: "¥6827" currency: JPY in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/6760048-missing-person-verba-mundi-book-paperback-march-11-2005 store_origin: JP region: Japan --- # Missing Person (Verba Mundi Book) Paperback – March 11, 2005 **Brand:** patrick modianodaniel weissbort **Price:** ¥6827 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Missing Person (Verba Mundi Book) Paperback – March 11, 2005 by patrick modianodaniel weissbort - **How much does it cost?** ¥6827 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/6760048-missing-person-verba-mundi-book-paperback-march-11-2005) ## Best For - patrick modianodaniel weissbort enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted patrick modianodaniel weissbort brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Missing Person (Verba Mundi Book) Paperback – March 11, 2005 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71gAFeMR2mL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ long intro and questionable ending *by L***S on Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2022* The story of Pablo wraps itself around the character finding what happened to him and Denise while fleeing France. The story makes revelations that do not tie to any events, as written in the book. It is as though chapters of the book are missing or the translation Is very poor and misses they key clues that unravel the misters. I never got there for meAfter reading his Nobel Prize speech I got a better insight into his approach…here it isProust’s memory causes the past to reappear in all its detail, like a tableau vivant...Today, I get the sense that memory is much less sure of itself, engaged as it is in a constant struggle against amnesia and oblivion. This layer, this mass of oblivion that obscures everything, means we can only pick up fragments of the past, disconnected traces, fleeting and almost ungraspable human destinies... Yet it has to be the vocation of the novelist, when faced with this large blank page of oblivion, to make a few faded words visible again, like lost icebergs adrift on the surface of the ocean.This brings insight into the story…when faced this large blank page of oblivion, to make a few words visible again, like lost icebergs adrift…. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A philosophical Noir mystery *by N***8 on Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2015* Like a black & white mystery movie from the 1940s, this novel gives that kind of vibe. Creepy, noir-like. But, there is no "bad guy" or femme fatale or treasure being sought-- just a man's search for his identity, because he is innately curious as to who he really is (having lost his memory years ago). This is a short novel, but it is a complex one. There are periodic shifts in time and in narrator, without warning (making the reader "work at" following what is going on). And there is an inordinate amount of detail regarding Parisian street names, addresses, etc. This aspect does not make for difficult reading (as you can basically ignore the details, though I am sure they are accurate). But, it does give the novel a certain reality, sort of blending fiction and non-fiction.The search for identity is very convoluted and like a maze. Slight bits of information lead to more bits, sometimes contradicting the previous bits. The central character at one point does, in fact, visit a maze. Bits and pieces of a former life blink into his memory, and he tries to make sense of them. The feeling of "deja vu" is alluded to. He turns a light switch on and off, which triggers a memory of having done this before, and brings up memories. He mentions "traceless beings" who spring up out of nothing, then vanish ("the beachman"). The idea of a person (you or me) appearing in hundreds of anonymous other peoples' photos -- and these anonymous people look at these photos at home, and wondering to themselves: "Who is that guy in the background of the photo? I wonder whatever became of him?" That basic idea is what is conveyed in this novel-- the proof of your existence is spread out over hundreds of other insignificant people's photos and memories and stories and interactions. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to reconstruct your identity from these bits and pieces. I think the last line of the novel refers to this idea: "...do not our lives dissolve into the evening..?."This is a very interesting novel, keeps the reader wanting to know what clues will come next. But, in the end, there is no "big reveal". This may be the point of the novel, but for someone expecting a grand "ahaa" moment, it never comes. This is a noir mystery with philosophical overtones -- not a traditional "who-dunit" mystery. Some people would give it 5 stars because of this deeper meaning. I give it 4 stars, as I would have appreciated a bit more of conclusion (though I can understand the author's reluctance to do so). ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Moody and Atmospheric *by B***D on Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2015* Patrick Modiano, as you may recall, was the most recent Nobel Prize winner (2014), though what that means, if anything, is hard to say. It is difficult for me to go into a book whose author is a Nobel winner without half-formed, amorphous ideas about what kind of quality that should represent--for myself (even though I shouldn't), I can't help but think of the Nobel as the acme of awards, and therefore have expectations about any particular example of the author's work that are unrealistic. Basically, I'm expecting to have my socks knocked off--though I doubt I can even describe what that kind of book would look like.MISSING PERSON is good--I liked it, though my socks were still snuggled against my feet when I was through. However, it is one of those persnickety books--once finished, it hangs around like dream fragments in the morning. Probably the two highest compliments that I can pay it is that I would like to read some more of Mr. Modiano, and that at some point, I'd like to read MISSING PERSON again. Although the two books share no details in common except the nationality of their authors and a certain tone, I'm reminded of another recent Nobel winner, J.M.G. Le Clezio, whose  The Prospector  also had a dreamy feel to it. Though 'unresolved' may be an accurate way to describe them both, neither felt incomplete, though readers who dislike loose ends might be disappointed.MISSING PERSON is the story of a man whose quest to regain the memory of his past takes him from one end of Paris to the other, teasing out connections and associations, slowly building a picture of his time in occupied France. Eventually, from the evidence he uncovers, and bits of his own memories that return, a semblance of a narrative appears, but it is far from complete by the book's end--nagging questions remain.It seems no great stretch to think that MISSING PERSON, originally written in 1978, could have been Mr. Modiano's attempt at an allegory for France itself--that the country suffered from amnesia when it came to Vichy France. Whether or not it is an effective allegory, I can't say, not being familiar with the attitudes and mindset of the French people at ANY time, let alone the mid-1970's. I CAN say that it is an affecting story regardless of any societal implications--if it is a representation of French attitudes, it is also an individual story. Haunting may be too strong; perhaps moody and atmospheric are better, and the sense of aloneness which permeates the amnesiac also points to the ephemeral nature of all our memories.In the end, I found MISSING PERSON to be a welcome change from the satirical trend in most contemporary novels (if 1978 is still contemporary). It was as if the author is saying that there are still some things we don't know about ourselves, and I found that refreshing. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.jp/products/6760048-missing-person-verba-mundi-book-paperback-march-11-2005](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/6760048-missing-person-verba-mundi-book-paperback-march-11-2005) --- *Product available on Desertcart Japan* *Store origin: JP* *Last updated: 2026-10-18*