Larry Gopnik in 1967 was a professor in the Jewish college on the Midwest. He finds that his wife intends to divorce from him and reflects on meaning of life. Besides problems with the wife it doesn't have relations with children who constantly drag money from its purse and the brother idler bothered it with order after lodged at them and not to seek to get work. In additives to all Larry starts receiving anonymous letters with threats as it appeared from one of students graduates who seeks to receive the necessary assessment in his subject later and I decided to go for blackmail for the sake of it.