Summary

In "Nathaniel Recalls the Miracle," Nathaniel anticipates telling his grandchildren about "the dawn of the new millennium" (3). He will recount the fearful anticipation that defined the era. In retrospect, their concerns seem silly. However, at the time, everyone was certain that when the year 2000 arrived, the world would end. Some people prepared go-bags in case of disaster. Others partied. Then, at midnight, "nothing happened" (5).

Nathaniel, however, is not yet a grandparent. The world may no longer exist as he knows it once he is.

In "Frogboil," Lucien cannot stop thinking about what his friend Yoshi Matsumoto said on the phone: "Back to normal" (6). Though their company is reopening, and Matsumoto is returning to New York, Lucien is unconvinced the world is the same.

In "View," since Mr. Matsumoto has been in Tokyo, Lucien's nephew, Nathaniel, and his friends have...