Chapter 1 Summary

The narrator and main character of the novel is a psychiatric doctor that does research at a university in New York City. The doctor has not yet identified his or her name or gender. He or she talks about working long and regimented days at the university and coming home to listen to foreign Internet radio stations and read books he or she fished out of the trash at the university. The doctor then takes up walking around the city to break up the monotony of the day.

Julius, who is the main character and narrator of the story visits one of his old college professors, Professor Saito, on the day of the New York Marathon. The professor is 89 years old and has prostate cancer so he doesn't get out of his apartment much anymore. After his visit, Julius walks home past the...