Elderly Scottish bookworm Mr Mee searches the Internet for the legendary Rosier's Encyclopaedia which supposedly outlines an 18th-century quantum theory. Instead he enters a strange new world of cyber-hoaxers and online pornography. Meanwhile university lecturer Dr Petrie, an expert on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, recounts his infatuation with one of his own students. And in the third strand of this unique comedy of ideas, Rousseau's Laurel-and-Hardy-like neighbours Ferrand and Minard hold the key to Rosier's Encyclopaedia, Rousseau's madness, and Mr Mee himself.

Combining history and fantasy, philosophy and farce, Crumey's novel is an intellectual page-turner that keeps the reader laughing and guessing to the end.

'This book is fabulous stuff: erudite but not patronising, elegantly and simply written, jumping ambitiously across centuries but with a good dash of down-to-earth lust for entertainment. More than once, Crumey make his reader pause, rest the book in his lap, and acknowledg that life really is quite extraordinary. He deserves to be better known' The Times