Zeno Cosini, a wealthy merchant, attempts to document his life and neuroses for his psychoanalyst, resulting in a series of unreliable and self-justifying accounts. Zeno navigates his existence through a lens of chronic indecision, focusing on his failed attempts to quit smoking, his courtship of the Malfenti sisters, and his complicated business ventures. The narrative framework is epistolary and non-linear, presented as a therapeutic exercise that Zeno frequently subverts to protect his own ego. He faces the logical constraints of his own rationalizations, which often conflict with the reality of his social and professional failures. The text functions as a deep examination of the human tendency toward self-deception and the absurdity of the bourgeois lifestyle.

Readers and critics frequently highlight the novel's innovative approach to the unreliable narrator, noting how Zeno's justifications create a humorous yet poignant portrait of human fallibility. Discussion often centers on the effectiveness of the psychoanalytic framing device, which allows the author to explore the protagonist's internal contradictions with clinical precision. Many observers appreciate the balance between the character's mundane daily struggles and the broader existential questions posed by his neuroses. The pacing is often described as deliberate, reflecting the meandering nature of Zeno's own thoughts rather than a traditional plot-driven structure. This work remains a significant point of reference for those interested in the development of modernist psychological fiction.