This book popped up as an add-on for Book of the Month towards the end of 2021, otherwise it wouldn’t have been on my radar at all. This author, while highly regarded, writes books I’ve never been interested in reading. We all have our favorite book genres, and his stuff just wasn’t ever on my list. After reading this one, I am even more aware of why he was never an author I really wanted to read. I try to expand my literary world, but frequently I’m just disappointed. I recently read Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky, hailed as a powerhouse in fiction and frequently shoved down the gullets of unsuspecting schoolkids. I hated it more than I even have words to explain. The characters came across as frivolous and hysterical, making the entire thing difficult to take seriously. This book was quite similar. None of the main players seemed like they were to be taken seriously, like they were a group of kindergarteners playing at being adults. It made the entire story seem like it was framed with some floral outline, embellished with glitter. On top of that, there were just too many players, especially because each of them seemed to have more than one name. The whole thing was just confusing as hell, which makes for a very unsatisfying book. I realize this man is highly esteemed, so my opinion is either not going to mean much at all (as it should be) or it’s going to be heavily criticized. So I’ll fall back on what I always say: each of us should read the books we enjoy reading. It’s not required to love every book, especially the ones that are highly acclaimed. I mean, let’s face it, who truly enjoyed every book we were forced to read in high school? Read what you like, and be honest when you don’t like one.