This is a very strange book to be reading while you have a head cold. It's about a lawyer who has episodes where he loses control of his legs. His legs will just carry him off on mammoth walks, and he's powerless to stop himself. This can happen at any time -- in the middle of the night, at the office, during a trial. He will walk for miles and miles, and then at the end of the walk he'll collapse wherever he is and sleep outside for hours. Needless to say, this isn't conducive to a healthy life, a good marriage, a successful career, or pretty much anything else. As the book proceeds, the main character (as well as his wife) becomes a wreck. His body is ravished by the long walks. He suffers frost bite, loses fingers, and almost gets killed. He's also pretty much crazy by the last half.
In general, it was very odd to read this book about a man who can't control his legs from walking, when I really couldn't control my nose from running. The book had a very intense, feverish pace, and, well, I had a fever.
I loved Ferris' first book -- "Then We Came to the End" -- because it was funny. This one, not so funny. It's not exactly an uplifting comedy, but it's very well-written, and I couldn't put it down. I even liked it once I had recovered from the fever.
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