i have an affliction - i must finish any book i start. this affliction gave me great pains for the first 50 - 75 pages of this book. i did not like any of the characters, was not engaged in the plot, and foresaw a slow creep towards either a library due date or page 338. fortunately, as i plodded along, something in the book drew me in.
this book was suggested to me, multiple times, by a pal of mine. it has many accolades from those who matter, all prominently displayed on its jacket. the book is a comedy, which is one reason i think it did not work well for me. my comedic tastes do not translate well to the written page. other highly recommended comedy books have met with indifference from me. there is only one book that has caused me to actually laugh and one other that i genuinely find mildly amusing. if you enjoy literary comedy, go read this book!
the situations are genuinely funny - to someone with an actual sense of humor - and the book has a definite charm and appeal. i'm sure most of you are more sophisticated than i, so i can easily recommend the book to all y'all. if you find yourself struggling to make it through, keep going. the climax is worth the time and effort to get there (as they usually are). [you didn't expect me to be able to resist doing a climax link AND a climax joke, did you? i'm sure you're glad i chose the lesser of two evils.]
