Charles Sutton, booklover and professor, is intrigued by the old book he is given by the elderly and enigmatic instrument repairer. He likes the old leather-bound book and reads a tale that is completely absorbing. Finishing and closing the cover, he sees the title fade away and a new one gradually emerge. Inside is a new story. How? Magic? Digital trickery? He is pulled anew to open the aged volume. All night and much of the next day, Charles reads story after story, each one as compelling as the last, somehow perfectly suited to his eclectic tastes. It is a wonderful and satisfying repetition of the emergence into the timeless realm of reading. Between stories, though, he feels a growing sense of unease.

Charles learns that others want, even need, the book—leading the quiet academic into intrigue, suspense, danger, and unexpected romance.

The Last Book traverses the mystery of Charles’s book with witty repartee, poetic descriptions of the wonders of music, and reflections on education and creativity. It is ultimately a paean to the enriching, even vital, qualities of language and literature.