This took me years to read. I must have read the first 50 pages 3 or 4 times. But people kept telling me that it gets better, and that it's a must read. Well I've finally sat down and finished the whole thing. I'm not quite sure what to think. I don't know whether I loved it or hated it. I know I did not enjoy reading most of end, but I think I came around in the end when the plot gets more linear. (But maybe that's just stockholm syndrome??). Don't get me wrong--there were some great parts. It was both funny and tragic--and there aren't a lot of stories that can pull that off. On the other hand, a large part of the book felt dry to me. Maybe I need to sit down and read it again.