Summary

The novel opens with a prologue entitled “Anonymity” with the subheading “September 3.” It chronicles in great detail a man’s visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, specifically his experience in the 24-Hour Psycho exhibit, in which Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho is played in super slow motion over the course of 24 hours.

The man stands against the back wall in the dark, watching people enter the exhibit, stay for a few moments, then move on. The man repeats the gestures of the actors on-screen. The tourists, however, seem baffled or unimpressed by the exhibit, preferring to drift towards the nearby gift shop. The screen has two sides, allowing viewers to walk around to see the image in reverse.

The security guards chat, while more tourists come in. The man marvels at the image on-screen, seeing Anthony Perkins turning “his...