When I was a kid, I saw a fat ancient copy of Dhalgren sitting on a sheld at the library and I said to myself, "Someday I'm going to read that." Over five years later I bought a copy and it turned out the be the most colossal waste of time ever. It's not just a waste of time; it actively ruins the time it takes to read. It's 800 pages long and there's not a single idea of any sort in it. This book does not have a single redeeming feature; Delany's style is pretentious and his overuse of ellipsis mechanical. I would give Dhalgren no stars if I could (a black dot) but I can't.