It was probably the most confusing book I have ever tried to read. I wondered if it really was that confusing or was I just dense, so I looked up some reviews. It is, by all accounts, very confusing with the jumps in time. I don't mind stretching my brain a little to read a book, it doesn't have to be just pure entertainment, but trying to follow the characters and the jumping back and forth in time and place was just more work than it was worth. I gave up after the first part. I know it is supposed to be one of the best books ever written which is why I chose to read it in the first place, but I'm not willing to work that hard to figure out what the author is trying to say. I'm not a college professor, just a reasonably bright guy who likes to get some enjoyment as well as a learning experience from reading.