After his wife Sarah dies, K. loses his metaphorical capacity, becoming so wedded to the notion of clarity that he infuriates everyone. When he intervenes in an armed robbery, K. finds himself a hero and the star of a new reality television program. Together with Claire, a grocery store clerk with a sharp tongue and a yen for celebrity, he travels the country, ruffling feathers and gaining fame while discovering that the world will fight viciously to preserve its delusions about itself. K.'s quixotic effort to fully understand the world he lives in makes for a singular and entertaining novel.