A confounding, postmodern novel, this meditation on travel, the Danube, and its history is great fun for those with an appreciation for wordplay and intellectual games. Its protagonist is a heroic traveler who communicates in a series of telegrams, narratives and dreamlike monologues. The novel doubles as a stunning travelogue of the Danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea.  (HGR11, $19.00)