The past violently intrudes upon the present in the modern town of Ashford, where historical figures and contemporary residents become entangled in a cycle of obsession and dark comedy. The narrative follows a disparate cast of characters—including a sword-wielding woodsman, a bulimic harpy, and a man terrified of salad—as they navigate the encroaching influence of figures like the court jester John Scogin and the physician Andrew Boarde. Through a non-linear and multi-perspective framework, the story examines how history functions as a recurring, often cruel, joke. The characters struggle against the weight of their own obsessions and the physical, psychological displacement caused by the past's persistent, whispering presence in their daily lives.

This novel is widely recognized for its ambitious scope and its refusal to adhere to traditional narrative conventions. Critics often highlight the author's ability to weave disparate historical threads into a cohesive, albeit chaotic, examination of the modern psyche. The work is frequently noted for its dense, challenging prose and its dark, biting humor that permeates every interaction between the characters. Readers often find the experience of reading the book to be disorienting yet rewarding, as it demands a high level of engagement with its complex, layered structure. The consensus suggests that the book serves as a significant exploration of how history continues to exert influence over the present in unexpected and often unsettling ways.