In Part one (written in 1st person) it is 1967 and we meet Adam Walker, a 20 year old student at Columbia University and a budding poet. He meets the Frenchman Rudolf Born and his girlfriend, Margot at a party and a few days later he encounters Rudolf, a visiting professor at Columbia, at a restaurant and Rudolf offers to set him up as editor of a new literary magazine. Rudolf says Margot was the impetus behind the offer as she had taken an interest in Adam.
Adam is invited to dinner at Rudolf's and Margot's apartment where the deal is finalized. A few days later Rudolf is called back to Europe and three days later Margot invites him to the apartment for dinner and, as it turns out, a steamy affair. On the 5th day, Margot breaks off the relationship and returns to her native France.
Shortly thereafter Rudolf and Adam are accosted, at night, by a would be mugger. And it's all down hill after that.
Parts two takes place in the present and is written in 3rd person in the voice of a former college roommate of Adam. Adam has written a letter to his friend who then tells Adam's story after the events of part 1.
Part 3 continues the story in the voice of the roommate.
There are unpredictable plot twists and turns in this well-written and intriguing novel but the ending, for my money, is unsatisfying, yet certainly fits the tenor of the plot and story.