The novel chronicles the life and actions of a low level administrative clerk for Central Registry of Births, Marriages, and Deaths of an unnamed city, Senhor Jose. The premise of the novel relies on the fact that Senhor Jose gets bored of the monotony and repetitive nature of his job that he chooses to engage in the activity of amassing the data and records of various people who have lived and been famous throughout history.
The monotony of his very existence spurs him on the engage in the activity of stealing the records of the people whom he has been amassing data on. This venture is made possible by the fact that he lives, alone, in a residential building with the sole adjoining entrance to the Central Registry. However, on one of his illegal late night adventures, he accidentally retrieves the record of an unknown woman, whom he ends up becoming obsessed with locating. He abuses the power and information he is entrusted with by nature of his job in his attempt to find this said unknown woman, going so far as to ask her past neighbors for information.
He becomes so engrossed in his obsession that he becomes aloof from his work and even avoids advice from his fellow clerks to put the woman behind him. This catches the eye of the registrar, who surprisingly does not frown upon or admonish Senhor Jose for his actions. Instead, the registrar empathizes with Jose which gives him the courage to further his obsession with the unknown woman. This leads to him severely neglecting his work, much to the surprise and worry of his fellow coworkers at the registry.
By the end of the novel, it is not revealed what eventually happens to Senhor Jose or if he manages to locate the unknown woman.
