Summary

In 1980 Paris, Jean-Claude Pelletier, a young PhD student, discovers a book by Benno von Archimboldi in a bookstore. Fascinated by the mysterious author, Pelletier decides to write his dissertation on Archimboldi, a post-World War II German writer.

Meanwhile, other scholars across Europe also become engrossed in Archimboldi's work: Piero Morini, an older Italian professor at the University of Turin, Manuel Espinoza, a Spanish scholar who turns to Archimboldi after setbacks in other areas of German literature, and Liz Norton, a young English student introduced to Archimboldi by a German friend.

By 1993, these four academics have become specialists in Archimboldi's work, developing intricate theories and interpretations. They meet for the first time at a German literature conference, forming a quartet of sorts. Over the years, they reunite at various global conferences, communicating in their shared language of German.

The four maintain...