The bulk of the novel’s action takes place in David’s Manhattan apartment, where he hosts parties for his classes, brings Consuela, Carolyn, and other former students to sleep with, argues with his son, Kenny, and plays his piano. His apartment is that of a successful academic: filled with books and pieces of art, elegant yet understated, spacious for one person, expensive, and well-located. It is also the place from which he narrates the story, as is shown in the final scene where he finally speaks in the present tense. (Specifically, he is waiting for Consuela’s phone call, which he knows might never come.)

In fact, a more accurate description of the novel’s main setting might be “David’s Mind,” since that is where we spend most of our time. Rarely does he describe in much detail the physical surroundings he or any other...