 Truant is searching for a new apartment when his friend Lude tells him about the apartment of the recently deceased Zampanò, a blind, elderly man who lived in Lude's apartment building.In Zampanò's apartment, Truant discovers a manuscript written by Zampanò that turns out to be an academic study of a documentary film called "The Navidson Record", though Truant says he can find no evidence that the film or its subjects ever existed.The rest of the novel incorporates several narratives, including Zampanò's report on the (possibly fictional) film; Truant's autobiographical interjections; a small transcript of part of the film from Navidson's brother, Tom; a small transcript of interviews of many people regarding "The Navidson Record" by Navidson's partner, Karen; and occasional brief notes by unidentified editors, all woven together by a mass of footnotes.