The story follows Roth's alter ego Nathan Zuckerman, on a journey to Communist Prague in 1976 seeking the unpublished manuscripts of a Yiddish writer. The book, presented as journal entries by Zuckerman, details the struggle of demoralized artists in a totalitarian society.
The story revolves around Roth's alter ego Nathan Zuckerman, who travels to Communist Prague in 1976 to acquire unpublished manuscripts from a Yiddish writer. The book, presented as Zuckerman's journal entries, portrays the difficulties faced by demoralized artists living under a totalitarian regime.