Jeffrey Moore: Red-Rose Chain [2003] paperback

It is by no means clear how much control Yorkshireman Jeremy Davenant has over his own destiny. For one, he's convinced that the blueprint of his future already exists on a page ripped from a random book (an encyclopedia, it transpires). Romantic, fatalist, quixotic, he blithely teaches with forged credentials at a Montreal university until a single glimpse of a dark lady sends his life spinning into chaotic mishap and obsession.