The story follows Roth's alter ego Nathan Zuckerman, on a journey to Communist Prague in 1976 seeking the unpublished manuscripts of a Yiddish writer.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.
Roth's protagonist, Nathan Zuckerman, embarks on a journey to Communist Prague in 1976 in search of unpublished works from a Yiddish writer. The book is presented as Zuckerman's journal entries and chronicles the struggles faced by disillusioned artists under a totalitarian government.