Stone Reader (2002)

Documentary filmmaker Mark Moskowitz turns literary sleuth in this marvelous tale of a vanished novelist. Enchanted by the 1972 novel The Stones of Summer, Moskowitz was surprised to discover no subsequent trace of the author, Dow Mossman. This led him on a roundabout search for the man, including nicely freewheeling detours to talk about writing with critic Leslie Fiedler and editor Robert Gottlieb, among many distinguished others. Although Moskowitz's detective format is somewhat labored, the story of Mossman's retreat from writing is fascinating, and the joy of books (and talking about books) is always front and center. The suspense of Moskowitz's quest becomes real, and Stone Reader contains moments that would be implausible if they were in a fiction film--except, of course, they aren't made up. Bibliophiles of every stripe need to see this movie; and if you're not a book lover already, it may make you one.