With the return of a compulsion that forces successful attorney Tim Farnsworth to drop whatever he is doing and walk to his utter exhaustion, a roller coaster ride starts for the reader in Josh Ferris's latest novel, The Unnamed.

The reader gets caught up in the compulsion—if Farnsworth walks, the reader feels he must read. The question is, how long can such a senseless compulsion last? Then, after several more instances of this senseless walking, the reader questions how long the wife and daughter will stand for Farnsworth's bizarre behavior and his thankless attitude toward them for all their sacrifices.

One part seems missing from the strange tale. Although much is said about trips to doctors and medical centers, neither doctors nor other professionals ever have an integral part in the novel.

As if the reader is not already filled with suspense about the compulsion, Ferris introduces a stranger character who seems to have some vital information about a high-profile murder trial that Farnsworth was leading.

Readers who expect their stories neatly wrapped up at the conclusion will be disappointed, but readers who welcome novels that present such challenges without neat solutions will find the book a must read.