Yes Michael Cunningham is a wonderful writer of prose, but it is inserted in unrealistic streams of consciousness revelations during his characters' mundane activities. The lack of action in this book causes the focus to be on the characters who are revealed as self-absorbed, narcissistic and somewhat delusional while consistently whiny. It is not hard to discern why this book, as insignificant as it is, has been lauded by the press and Hollywood. It caters to sympathies that the press and Hollywood universally suscribe to without a search for greater truths or real meaning. Additionally, the writer creates no sense of urgency or intrigue for the reader. It is the equivalent of watching a soap opera in which the writers are trying their best to write like Shakespeare.