A fascinating novel with three strands. An elderly Scottish bookworm searches the Internet for a legendary encyclopedia, while a university lecturer researches the life of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and unearths neighbours of Rousseau whose story is also told. Very humorous, sometimes confusing but intriguing in the way the three ideas merge together.
'Is it word processing you want to do?'
I gather this is a term used to denote what was known in our day as 'writing'. I told him I would use the machine primarily for reading, an archaic habit the correct name of which I didn't know.