logo

34 pages 1 hour read

Ron Roy

The Absent Author

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1997

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Character Analysis

David Donald “Dink” Duncan

The protagonist of the story, Dink Duncan is the reason Wallis Wallace comes to Green Lawn in the first place. A serious and thoughtful boy, Dink has read all the Wallis Wallace books he can and wants to be a famous writer himself one day. Dink’s letter from Wallis Wallace makes him suspicious when the author doesn’t show up. The Absent Author centers on Dink’s perspective as he navigates the mystery. He feels responsible for the author’s disappearance and uses the skills he’s learned from his favorite mystery books to collect clues related to the case, demonstrating The Value of Reading. Dink is central to the mystery and plays a lead role in retracing Wallis Wallace’s steps and keeping the investigation on track.

Josh Pinto

Dink Duncan’s best friend is Josh Pinto. He’s loyal, brave, and a bit mischievous. He wants to be an artist one day. Josh is the only member of the mystery team who has not read any of Wallis Wallace’s books. This lack of familiarity with the mystery genre shows in his unfocused approach to the case: Josh is the most suspicious of the three friends and makes accusations against nearly everyone the team comes into contact with.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 34 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,600+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools