The story, full of sparkling wit, heart-wrenching romance and modern art, begins with the mysterious death of one of three very old men, all artists and friends since their schooldays. The two elderly survivors hilariously set about examining their emotional and artistic histories, descending backwards in time from 1972 to 1914 and forwards again, tracing their intertwined youthful relationships and unconsciously uncovering the tragedy in their past. | 
