William is beginning to recognize that his problems -- he's somewhat compulsive about ironing and cleaning, his tenant keeps avoiding him when it's time to pay the rent, and he's spending far too many nights meeting men online for anonymous sexual encounters -- are taking over his life. As a starting point for improvement, he sets himself the goal of celibacy and decides to focus more of his attention on his real estate career.
When Charlotte and Samuel come into his office looking to move from the suburbs into Boston, they seem like just the role models of happiness and stability that William needs; William also finds himself increasingly turning to his best friend, Edward, who has always seemed to have his life together. Of course, none of these people are quite as collected as they appear, and the better William gets to know them, the more he finds himself wondering if chaos and confusion aren't the best that any of us can hope for.
The novel takes place about a year after 9/11, and William is very aware of the fact that his recent sexual compulsions are related to that event, a way of trying to find whatever happiness is available in a world that's suddenly more unpredictable. There's not a lot of plot here, at least in the sense of huge, dramatic events; McCauley is more interested in character study, in the ways that the most mundane events can sometimes lead us to the most surprising epiphanies.
The characters are vivid, and McCauley's writing is lively and lots of fun to read. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the final pages pack a surprising emotional punch.
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