The complex and still-youthful hero of Lenz's novel [Der Verlust] suffers from aphasia, the loss of speech. Through the elevation of this affliction to metaphor Lenz transforms his narrative into an essay upon language and silence, grounding it firmly in territory explored by Wittgenstein, George Steiner and Peter Handke.

Uli, the central figure, is a gifted and charismatic person, rich in imagination but unable to make final decisions about his life. He exists as a drifter, keeping all options open. His failure is expressed most intensely in his tenuous relation with the major female figure of the work; here the ultimate breakdown of communication manifests itself. With subtle care, Lenz allows his observations upon man and language to emerge as the major theme of the work. Through the loss of speech the hero grows inaccessible even to himself. The novel ends with cautious optimism, indicating that, while there...