Paul Kemp is a New York journalist who moves to the hot and chaotic Puerto Rico of the 1950s where he hopes to climb one more step on his carreer ladder.

It does not work out, and after less than a year the paper that hired him is (financially) bankrupt as is Kemp (morally), and both factors make him return to New York.

This novel has a lot of setting, description of landscape, city, character and characters, way of life etc., but nothing of any importance really happens. There is a striking contrast between the Diary from the title and the fact that there is little of notice to record. However, the full title Rum Diary more than fits: Kemp seems to live on rum and fetches a bottle or glass at all possible occasions. Were the setting not so sour and depressing, this would look suspiciously close to product placement.