It’s impossible to talk about this novel’s plot without discussing the central structure first. There’s hole in the center of this story and we are seeking to understand what’s missing because our central character is also trying to figure that out. He’s a writer and a scholar and inveterate learner, but he doesn’t know who he is, where he comes from, or what his history is. These are literal statements. So we’re getting much of his story as he tries to piece together this information. […]