Summary

Chapter 5 begins with a flashback to the summer after Corrine, Russell, and Jeff graduated from Brown University. Jeff is living in SoHo, which at the time was a popular place for bohemian artists, Corrine is living on the Upper East Side and working at Sotheby’s, and Russell is doing a fellowship abroad at Oxford. Corrine visits Jeff’s loft as a way of feeling closer to Russell.

When Corrine arrives at Jeff’s apartment he drops the keys down to her from his window, and once she is inside they begin a conversation about the messy state of it. The narration, given in Corrine’s perspective, illuminates Jeff’s character, stating “it’s his whole identity: Jeff Pierce, the writer” which encompasses his very cool and artistic manner (55). It is revealed that Jeff comes from a very wealthy, established family, and that...