It details the story of two brothers, Waldo and Arthur Brown, with a focus on the facets of their symbiotic relationship.

The book is typical of White's writing style, and is slow-paced, with little considerable action, instead focusing upon the inner turmoils of the aforementioned characters.

It tells the story of two brothers, Waldo and Arthur Brown, and the mutually dependent and mutually antagonistic relationship they share: Waldo is cold and supremely rational in his behaviour while Arthur is more warm-hearted and instinctual, so that together they represent what White saw as the two conflicting and complementary halves of human nature.

[1] Although Arthur would be considered by most in society as slightly "retarded", by the end of the novel he is shown to have a better grip on life than the conventional Waldo.

"[4] Francis King in The Sunday Telegraph said, "I am increasingly convinced that he is one of the five novelists at present at work in our language who is truly possessed of greatness.