Joseph Geist is somewhat of an anomaly. One would not have expected him, based on his first 18 years, to be accepted into Harvard, much less to become a PhD candidate in Philosophy ands then waste the opportunity by dithering for seven years in attempting to write his dissertation. Moreover, he wastes his relationships with friends and his lover, who one day tells him to leave the apartment they share.
But as luck would have it, he answers an advertisement to provide “conversation” to an elderly woman, a part-time job that evolves into a deeper relationship. And that is the basis for the story, sprinkled with various philosophical questions and choices, based on “free will,” the subject of his thesis.
To this reviewer, the plot seems forced, and the various elements seem contrived. On the whole, however, the novel is forceful and written with a careful eye to reach an appropriate resolution, and it is recommended.
