“[S]o good that almost any novel you read immediately after it will seem at least a little bit posturing.”—Jonathan FranzenNo Purdy work has dazzled contemporary writers more than this haunting tale of unrequited love in an indifferent world. A seedy Depression-era boardinghouse in Chicago plays host to “a game of emotional chairs” (Guardian) in a novel initially condemned for its frank depiction of abortion, homosexuality, and life on the margins of American society.