In this classic satire by the writer Gore Vidal once called "our best comic novelist," Dawn Powell takes on the New York publishing world and dissects it "with the patience of a pathologist removing organs for inspection." Frederick Olliver, obscure historian and writer, is having an affair with the restively married, beautiful, and hugely successful playwright, Lyle Gaynor. Powell sets in motion a see-saw as Olliver's new book becomes a surprising success just as Lyle's Broadway career comes unraveled.