Feeling solitary and shocked by the late remarriage of his mother, Alan Sherwood submits to a highly unsatisfactory engagement to fragile, needy Angela. She sees in him a protector, one who will confer stability and respect upon her, yet he is haunted by memories of more carefree times in Paris, and by his passionate and destructive affair with Sarah Miller. So that when Sarah, with her heavy Guerlian scent and mane of red hair, re-enters of his life, Alan willingly embarks on a futile act of betrayal. The tragic consequences of this infidelity are to change his life for ever. Alone in the small Swiss border town of Vif, Alan prepares to confront the mistakes of his past, and to make amends for his folly. Altered States is a forceful exploration of the conflicting needs of men and women, and the lack of understanding which divides them. Powerfully written in rich in perception Anita Brookner's portrait of moral vulnerability and loss of innocence is an extraordinary achievement.