90 pages • 3 hours read
Emily St. John MandelA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Seven years before the pandemic, Jeevan, then working as an entertainment journalist, manages to schedule an interview with Arthur. Arthur is not talkative at first, but he suddenly questions Jeevan about his choice of work, telling him that he is different from the other journalists. Off the record, Arthur confesses his fatigue and discomfort at being famous, before officially striking a more upbeat tone. On the condition that he not tell anyone for 24 hours, Arthur then reveals that he is leaving Elizabeth for Lydia Marks, the costar in his latest film. Arthur explains that telling Jeevan forces him to confront Elizabeth, who does not know yet.
On the sofa at Frank’s apartment about a week after the outbreak, Jeevan thinks back to the interview with Arthur and wonders whether he will ever drink a cappuccino or see his girlfriend again.
Frank asks what Jeevan is smiling about. “Arthur Leander,” he replies, proudly remembering that he kept his promise after the interview. He feels a twinge of regret when he recalls photographing Miranda after the dinner party.
By Emily St. John Mandel