A young man raised among goats discovers he is the prophesied Grand Tutor, destined to navigate the complex social and political hierarchies of a university that serves as a microcosm for the world. George, the protagonist, leaves his pastoral upbringing to enter the sprawling, labyrinthine campus of New Tammany College. He faces opposition from rival factions, bureaucratic institutions, and the existential weight of his own identity as he attempts to achieve the status of Grand Tutor. The narrative framework employs a dense, self-referential structure, utilizing a frame story that questions the authenticity of the text itself. The world operates under the logic of a rigid, allegorical system where academic disciplines and social structures mirror global political conflicts.

Discussion often centers on the book's ambitious scope and its status as a quintessential example of postmodern metafiction. Readers frequently highlight the challenging nature of the prose, which demands significant attention to navigate its dense layers of allegory and satire. Critics often debate the effectiveness of the book's length and its commitment to parodying the structure of the hero's journey. The work remains a focal point for those interested in how literature can deconstruct its own reality while simultaneously commenting on the broader political landscape of the mid-twentieth century.