First published 1992
Lila, a troubled woman, rescues a drifter named Phaedrus from a river. As they sail down the Hudson, Phaedrus reflects on his past—a quest to uncover the fundamental Metaphysics of Quality. Haunted by his controversial theories and a psychiatric breakdown, he must confront his own demons to help Lila find redemption. Together, they navigate a world of bikers, drifters, and philosophers, testing the limits of truth, sanity, and the pursuit of meaning.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption, unreliable-narrator
Period: 1990s
480 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam
Content warnings: mental-illness