Summary

Part One: Writer’s Disease (Eight Months Before the Book’s Publication), continued

In Extracts from the Origin of Evil by Harry L. Quebert, a number of passages from Harry’s book are reproduced. The passages recount the deep love between the protagonist and his girl and how the protagonist leaves secret letters for her.

In Chapter 18: Martha’s Vineyard (Massachusetts, Late July, 1975), Harry tells Marcus the greatest and most difficult undertaking in life is to build love. The novel shifts back in time to late July, 1975. Harry and Nola are in Martha’s Vineyard. They are constantly together, and in the four days that Harry has been with her, he has written more than forty pages of his novel. Nola urges him to take picture of them, during which time she kisses his...