A novelist retreats to Melvile in search of inspiration, to a house that once belonged to his father. No creative miracle occurs, but an encounter that could change everything. Recently, the writer Samuel Beauclair has settled in Melvile in the house of his childhood. His first novel enjoyed a certain success, but he must realize that he has been suffering from writer's block ever since. In Melvile, he hopes for new inspiration. Yet every day is the same game: Samuel lies to himself, to his wife Sarah, and to his publisher, allows himself to be denied over the phone, and escapes into alcohol and self-doubt. The only routine is the daily trip to the city to stock up on cigarettes and beer. With his meager writing attempts, Samuel can neither reassure Sarah nor prevent the seizure of their belongings by the court.