The plots of two novels intertwine and contaminate one other in this innovative and deeply affecting tale about the boundaries of fiction, friendship, and love. When John allows his best friend Julian to read his novel, it becomes clear to Julian that the contents of the work are more fact than fiction, revealing their shared love for Catherine and tracing the descent of their once-ideal friendship into jealousy and recrimination. As John and Julian's friendship deteriorates in the real world, it becomes evident that John's fiction has invaded reality and turned thier nonfiction lives upside down.