Horace Afoot

Classical allusions leap garishly out of a drab minimalist landscape in this incongruous debut. Morbidly self-centered protagonist Horace (self-named after the Latin poet) has come to an anonymous town (self-named, no less pretentiously, Oblivion) in search of autarkeia, ""the serenity of not caring."" His main occupations are telephoning strangers, reading philosophy, drinking above-average wine, walking aimlessly--to the regional airport, the factory of defense contractor Semantech and an Indian mount of indeterminate archeological significance. Horace (full name Quintus Horatius Flaccus) quickly achieves the reputation of an eccentric-about-town and unwillingly clashes with Oblivion's truculent sheriff and the neighborhood juvenile delinquent. Only slightly less reluctantly, he strikes up a reserved friendship with the terminally ill town librarian. Horace's withdrawn existence is ultimately compromised by Sylvia, Reuss's most attractive character. Sylvia is a blue-collar exemplar of unbuttoned emotions and casual sex, but even she can't save the novel as it meanders to an indifferent resolution of its protagonist's bios theoretikos. (Nov.)