Halfway through, I thought I was enjoying the book. Until I realized that I really disliked all the characters.I admire the way O'Nan took on such a large cast, and rotated the points of view, but so much was heavy-handed. Yes, it was very, very clear that O'Nan researched photography. Those details screamed "AUTHOR'S RESEARCH! AUTHOR'S RESEARCH!" And he seemed to classify each character by one or two traits, and then return to those each time he presented that character's point of view: the scared boy, the bitter wife, the smart girl with a secret, etc.I don't generally mind a character-driven book in which nothing much happens. But I expect other payoffs: humor, precise characterization, unique observations. I learned a bit about Chautauqua and Niagara Falls, but I was hoping for more.