Frank Bascombe

Frank Bascombe is a sportswriter. Frank's son, Ralph, died a few years before and he then was divorced from his wife. These events have changed the way Frank views the world and himself. Frank admits that his divorce is largely his fault. After the death of his son, Frank had numerous affairs, hoping to be able to define himself by these women for a short time in order to forget his own trouble for a while. By doing this, Frank stopped sharing his feelings and thoughts with his wife and began sharing them with other women. When Frank's wife discovered this behavior, she left him.

Frank is now dating a nurse with whom he hopes to define a new life for himself. Vicki is a young southern woman who has recently divorced her first husband. Frank finds her entertaining and sexy, though the reader can see almost...