This novel chronicles a professor's life falling apart. He is bored with his suburban life, his wife, and the senseless bureaucracy of his university job. Adrift and increasingly unable to connect to his family, he tries to jump-start himself with having several extramarital affairs and the study of heaven and consciousness. His journey takes him through unreal experiences: a bizarre murder, a dysfunctional Boston family, his abusive father, a sex-crazed cousin, and a series of tragic accidents where he loses his immediate family. Mostly, his journey is a psychological self-discovery that leads to more sadness and depression.