Summary

The novel begins with a very short chapter that introduces the main character (who remains unnamed in this chapter). This character is also the narrator (therefore this novel uses a first person point of view) The chapter begins with a recollection of a phrase his wealthy father used, “Everybody wants to own the end of the world” (3). The narrator has been on a journey for quite a while. He has been flying on various planes for many hours. When he lands, some sort of company car picks him up from the airstrip. The guard is wearing a soccer jersey and, apparent from the bulge on his hip, is carrying a firearm. The speaker reveals that he has made this journey to visit his ailing stepmother, who was previously an archeologist, and give her “an uncertain farewell” (4). When the...