Rating: 
Summary: Phew
Review: Wow, what a tome. I mean, it's impressive. Nearly 800 pages. But I found myself having to push to get through it, and by 300-400 pages, I was waiting for the book to develop somewhere. Instead, Henry Tyler kept plunging deeper and deeper into debasement. Maybe that was the point, but was it really necessary to punish the reader along with the character? Mr. Vollman, will you please listen to your editor next time?I wanted to really like the book, and I have to give Mr. Vollman credit for his vivid, sometimes horrible descriptions of people and events - not to mention his erudition and the extensive control of language he brings to the table - but in the end, I found myself expecting more from the book. I hope he does write that book about the hobo village one discovers at the end, but I hope Mr. Vollman has the sense to make his next book just a little more manageable. Look, in the end, if you have a few weeks at your disposal and want to read a book that is well written, focuses on topics that most of us would rather ignore, and shows us the beauty inside every failure (and the revolting ugliness of success), then do go read this book. And when your'e done, you'll feel like you've accomplished something...
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