An aging art critic becomes obsessed with a young, aspiring actress, initiating a destructive cycle of manipulation and betrayal. Albinus, a middle-aged man with a comfortable life, abandons his family to pursue Margot, a seventeen-year-old girl with ambitions of stardom. Margot, however, maintains a secret connection with her former lover, Axel Rex, who orchestrates a cruel campaign to exploit Albinus's blindness and vulnerability. The narrative follows a third-person perspective that shifts between the characters' internal delusions and the harsh reality of their deceitful interactions.

Discussion often centers on the cold, clinical precision with which the author dissects the protagonist's descent into ruin. Readers frequently highlight the stark contrast between the protagonist's romanticized view of his situation and the grim reality presented by the narrative. Critics often point to the book as a precursor to the author's later, more complex explorations of obsession and unreliable perspectives. The pacing is noted for its deliberate acceleration, mirroring the protagonist's loss of control over his own life. This work is widely regarded as a significant study of human folly and the cruelty inherent in calculated manipulation.