A man is searching for a young woman he calls The Fruit Thief, who, like him, has set off on a journey to the Vexin plateau. What follows is a dreamlike exploration of topography both physical and affective, charting the Fruit Thiefs journey across France's internal borderlands. Chance encounters expose new facets of this mysterious individual in the manner of a cubist portrait.
Handke beschreibt in diesen Prosatexten, wie der Schrecken von Ausbeutung, Zerstörung, Totschlag und Mord - verbal in Einzelteile zerlegt - verschleiert werden kann.