Compelling.. .strange & wonderful & frightening". (" New Yorker"). De Lillos seventh novel is an exotic thriller. Set mostly in Greece it concerns a mysterious language cult seemingly behind a number of unexplained murders. Obsessed by news of this ritualistic violence an American risk analyst is drawn to search for an explanation. We follow his progress on an obsessive journey that begins to take over his life & the lives of those closest to him. In addition to offering a series of precise character studies " The Names" explores the intersection of language & culture the perception of America from both inside & outside its borders & the impact that narration has on the facts of a story. Meditative & probing De Lillo wonders: how does one cope with the fact that the act of articulation is simultaneously capable of defining & circumscriptively restricting access to the self? "A serious & complicated novel which deserves praise.. .an outstandingly well-written & constructed book". (" Guardian")."