Skios by Michael Frayn

Dr. Norman Wilfred, world famous authority on the scientific organization of science, arrives on the private Greek island of Skios to give a lecture at a foundation dedicated to delivering high-minded ideas to a gaggle of wealthy, social climbing, elderly guests. Thus begins a series of accidents, misadventures, and mistaken identities that leave Wilfred stripped of his identity and questioning everything. Michael Frayn is a playwright ("Noises Off") and does a wonderful job of creating visual descriptions that jump from character to character building error on error. But over-all the story is a little thin. Misunderstandings that work well on stage or screen don't work as well in the slower medium of print. This is a light, enjoyable read but moved a little too slowly for me.