Paris in the 1950s: the reign of Sartre and existentialism. Daniel Brodin—bibliophile, book thief, self-proclaimed poet—enters the heated atmosphere of the Cafe Serbier, home of the Parisian literati. A poetry night is taking place and, when one luminary suggests giving the floor to an unknown, Daniel impulsively puts himself forward. Under pressure, he recites not one of his own surrealist poems but an obscure piece of Italian verse he’s certain no one will know. It’s plagiarism—but it’s a triumph.

At last, success. Daniel’s recital marks his entrance into the Parisian avant-garde: a band of cultured rogues and pseudo-revolutionaries for whom life is a playground for art, and planning a robbery has as much value as writing a book. In this milieu, the wine is good and the girls are beautiful. But can success last if it is founded on plagiarism and theft?