Peter Handke's novel tells a contemporary adventure and love story that often borders on the miraculous: The pharmacist of Taxham, a small, nearly inaccessible village outside Salzburg, encounters two individuals: a once-famous skier and a poet who was equally renowned in the past. Together, they embark on a journey. This marks the beginning of the pharmacist's extraordinary tale. But is it merely an adventure? Why does the pharmacist part ways with his companions in the town beyond the border? Why does he expose himself to the dangers of the steppe? What role does the woman who seduces the pharmacist play, and whom he also pursues? Are his trials stages of a love story? But what kind of love story can it be if the pharmacist continues his life unchanged upon his return? The novel raises and explores all these questions.