Wow, these reviews are completely biased!I took a course with Jim Dodge in 2001 at humboldt state university. He heralds himself as some sort of God among men yet cannot recognize passages from his own work when cited in opposition to his current (and infallible) opinion. What a complete hack and utter waste of time. 90% of the positive reviews for this book are obviously from students and colleagues of his (many of which I know personally)whom have fallen under the ridiculous spell from this out of touch, mentally decrepit, obtuse individual. His work is sophomoric at best, lacks character development, and employs an idiotic structural disaster befitting that of the ancient and irrelevant authors Jim Dodge blindly idolizes. Save yourself the embarrassment and buy something from an author who has published in the past 25 years.