There but for the is a sharp and playfully crafted exploration of connection, communication, time and humanity. 
Using the catalyst of a dinner party, whereby our ‘absent’ protagonist locks himself in the spare room of an upper middle-class household; Smith constructs, in four chapters and through four voices, an outline of this recondite character, while simultaneously exploring the characters that provide those voices, in conjunction with a tender, occasionally satirical, commentary on modern life. 
Using deft wordplay and a sly wit Smith creates a joyfully compelling, at times challenging, but ultimately rewarding read.

- William