The novel follows Theodore Gumbril, a frustrated young architect, through a series of comic and reflective episodes in a decaying urban setting; his awkward attempts at personal reinvention, romantic entanglements, and encounters with colleagues and acquaintances are interwoven with satirical sketches of social fashions and philosophical debates. The narrative alternates sharp comic observation with moral and metaphysical questioning, examining alienation, the tensions between intellect and feeling, and the search for authenticity amid the era's spiritual emptiness.