A break from my pulitzer novel marathon, while waiting for another shipment of used books. This is a National Book Award winner. I'm not sure what to think of this book, much as the protagonist is not sure what to make of the world. It is well written, with appropriate and illuminating descriptions. The "search" of the protagonist for meaning in his life pulls us along instead of a traditional plot. Sometimes it is very grim. I like dark novels, but this is not dark so much as depressing.
The protagonist is a stoic or possibly an existentalist. The novel doesn't preach though, not like the more recent "A Man In Full", which I didn't really care for. I'm not a philosopher, but I can certainly identify with the protagonist's search - I think anyone would.
The style reminds me a lot of Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby". Much is told through dialogue and a minimum of action. You have to pay attention! If there were only a little plot, like "Gatsby", this might be a more well known novel now.
And if you think you are not affected by what you read, after I finished this novel I was in a funk the rest of the day. I'm surprised the author was able to write this novel and not be so affected by it that he abandoned writing it!
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