In 'Subtle Bodies,' a group of old college friends are jarred together by the sudden death of Douglas, their group's charismatic cynosure, at his Catskills estate. The story centers on Ned, who, in the throes of trying to conceive with his wife Nina, hastily flies from San Francisco to attend the funeral, with a confused and determined Nina hot on his heels. She's resolved not to let a funeral sabotage their meticulously timed efforts at parenthood. While Ned grapples with the essence of the friendships formed in their youth and the forces that have since reshaped them, Nina offers sharp commentary on the male dynamics at play. Through bouts of humor, poignant reflections, and the unraveling of intertwined lives, Norman Rush's 'Subtle Bodies' delves into the profound ways our past alliances haunt us, the evolution of friendships, and quests to find meaning in the complex weave of life.