To try to summarize this book would be nearly impossible. Much like one of my other favorites, John Irving, Wallace employs the use of sub-plot to the extreme. The majority of the action takes place in the span of merely a month, and focuses on Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman.
Lenore, by birthright, is of privilege. She chooses to distance herself from her father's business by working as a switchboard operator. Her boss is also her lover (whom she obviously doesn't love), Ric Vigorous (who's firm is aptly named Frequent & Vigorous), and they both seek the counsel of Dr. Jay. Jay is a strict adherent to the fictitious Norman Bombardini, and we get to see the transcripts of the couples' individual sessions.
Contributing to the insanity of Lenore's life (as well as the story of this book) are her roommate, Candy Mandible, her bird Vlad the Impaler, her drug dealing brother (who keeps his stash in his prosthetic leg), and her great-grandmother whom has gone missing from her nursing home with 24 other residents. A veritable smorgasbord of supporting players also take on larger parts throughout. Wallace's ability to weave so many secondary characters into people the reader cares about is a gift.
Much like this review, Wallace's first novel is uneven...just when I caught myself dancing with the story, the story started walking, trotting, then running, sometimes even eclipsing itself. But with "purple fists of longing" and "shadows of licorice," I will most likely find myself dancing with Wallace again and again.
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