Moses Herzog Timeline and Summary

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• Herzog begins the book hanging out at his house in the Berkshires and writing imaginary letters to all kinds of people. It looks like he's in a bad mental state after his recent divorce.
• Looking back on his life, Herzog thinks about how horrible it was when his second ex-wife Madeleine threw him out of the house. It was only months later that he found out she was seeing his best friend and had been seeing him for a long time while they were still married.
• After his split with Madeleine, Herzog meets a beautiful woman named Ramona who wants to be his girlfriend and eventual wife. But Herzog is so scared of running into another bad marriage that he keeps his distance.
• Eventually, Herzog visits his lawyer Simkin to find out if there's anything he can legally do to make life harder for his ex, Madeleine, and her new lover. Simkin tells him he could sue for custody of his daughter June, although it could nearly bankrupt him.
• Herzog takes a trip to Chicago and visits his old stepmother. While at her house, he goes into his father's old desk and takes his antique pistol with the plan of killing Madeleine and her new lover.
• When he reaches Madeleine's house, Herzog realizes he can't go through with his plan. Instead, he makes an appointment to spend time with his daughter June the next day. But he gets into a car accident and goes to jail when the police find the concealed weapon on him.
• Herzog's brother Willie bails him out of jail and takes him up to his place in the Berkshires, where Herzog is finally able to rest and overcome his anxiety. The book ends with Herzog cleaning up for a visit from Ramona. For the first time in a while, he's looking forward to the future.