This novel is about Henry, who has an apartment on the High Street (the shopping district) of an unnamed city. It's practically barren, with only a couple of pieces of furniture. There are no magazines on the artfully-designed coffee table; there is no coffee table. He is about to leave his job as a butcher at a local shop.

He lives above a beauty parlor, where little beauty actually occurs. The only bright spot at the parlor is a woman named Laura, on whom Henry has had his eye. He also lives across the street from a bank. Every morning, he watches the female tellers arrive for work. He also watches the bank manager unlock the main doors each morning. Henry decides, one day, that the bank manager must die.

There is a lot of great writing in this book, but, overall, I'm not sure what to make of it. It tends to jump from one thing to another, kind of like James Joyce, or stream-of-consciousness writing. Those who like modern, edgy fiction that gets rid of the literary "rule book" will love this novel. On the other hand, for those who prefer more conventional plot, characters and storytelling, look elsewhere. ( )