This experimental work of autobiographical fiction follows an unnamed British novelist traveling to Athens to teach a writing workshop, where her encounters with various characters spark profound conversations about art, relationships, and selfhood.

Through these dialogues – recounted in Cusk's signature sparse prose – the novel explores themes of identity, creative expression, and the boundaries between fiction and reality.

[3] Praised for its innovative structure that blurs traditional narrative conventions, Outline received widespread critical acclaim upon release.

In every chapter, the writer meets people and engages in long conversations on love, fiction, marriage, and intimacy.

[14][15] On the March/April 2015 issue of Bookmarks, the book received a (4.0 out of 5) with the critical summary stating, "In sum: a new, daring way of crafting a novel".