The Man Who Saw Seconds

In the opening pages of this tedious outing from Boldizar (The Ugly), Preble Jefferson, the New York state champion in “chessboxing” (alternating rounds of chess and boxing), gets into a fight with a cop who accuses him of “seat hoggery” for placing his chess bag on a subway seat. Preble can see five seconds into the future, and after he dodges a bullet meant for him and it takes out the cop’s partner, he flees the scene. He worries that the authorities will come after him—to say nothing of the guilt he feels for letting another man die in his place. After discussing the situation with his lawyer friend, Preble decides to disclose his gift of foresight to the NYPD and offer them his services. Word gets out, sparking a global manhunt as international agencies scramble to find and exploit Preble, a goose chase Boldizar unsuccessfully tries to mine for insights on fate and free will. Unfortunately, the novel’s mishmash of surreal comedy and earnest moralizing never coheres. Even adventurous readers are likely to find this exhausting. (May)