Plot Synopsis Main Menu | Plot Synopsis | Main Characters | Terms and References | Courier's Tragedy The plot of The Crying of Lot 49 is a complicated one, so the best way to attack the story is to give an overview, but not go into detail. If you understand the basics, it is easier to go back and try to fill in the blanks of the more obscure and unusual circumstances using the information on the "Terms and References" page. The main focus of the book is Oedipa Maas. The book opens with Oedipa just learning that her former lover, real estate mogul, Pierce Inverarity, has died and left her the executor of his estate. In trying to fulfill this task, Oedipa stumbles (is pushed into?) a twisted underground world of intrigue. As she gathers more information, she finds herself more involved, but never knowing what is real, what is a hoax, or whether she is losing her mind (a and b, c and b, all of the above???). While reading, it is important to look for references to: WASTE, a muted post horn, the word Trystero (Tristero), Thurn and Taxis, Indians dressed in black, and anything to do with the postal system or with the transfer of either energy or information.