I am generally a slow reader, but I fairly flew through this massive tome. It swept me along fantastically! As in "The Bonfire of the Vanities", Wolfe again vividly illustrates the roots of most people's problems: sex, money and ego. That said, the main quibbles I have with the book are, firstly, that the ending is very disappointing after all that intense involvement in the characters. A shoddy way of tying up all the loose ends. Secondly, he seems not to be able to create multi-dimensionable and believable female characters. Thirdly, while Conrad is a very likeable character, all that business with the Stoics seems very contrived. It's still a great read, though!