Yet the plot of Frank Conroy's irresistible new book suggests quite the opposite.

The ballet plainly takes Classical antiquity as its subject, though its plot suggests a contemporary situation.

But the writer, director and star is a much more adept film maker than his loony plot suggests.

The plots of Shakespeare's plays, which borrow freely from other sources, suggest that he was well read in both ancient and modern literature.

Graves' plot suggested there were recently discovered, genuine translations of Claudius' writings.

The plot suggests that corporate greed and cost-cutting "have led to potentially deadly faults in the plant's construction".

The plot thickened after scholars suggested the physician may have been the source of some of the forgeries.

Butler argues that one measure of a conservative writer is "whether the plot, broadly, suggests a victim suffering at the hands of society".

Superficial plots suggest the lost dream of home ownership and give films a topical edge.

As the latest plot suggests, he said, that does not mean total victory is at hand.