Ogroff, an AWOL-solider-turned-hermit, lives in the French backwoods, and, still believing war to be raging, slaughters anyone who enters them. One day, a family's car breaks down in Ogroff's domain and a fight for their lives begins.

Barely out of his teens, Rémi dreams of becoming a poet and thrilling the world with his powerful and unforgettable verse. Seeking inspiration in the oppressively hot city of Sète, pen and notebook in hand, Rémi is determined to write his poem... But where to begin? By spending hours contemplating the sea? Climbing a mountain? Listening to the birds singing? Going to the library? Finding his muse? In bars? In the cemetery? Underwater? And if none of that works, then by drinking, drinking and drinking some more until that spark of inspiration strikes.