Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.
This selection generated much interesting discussion when members were asked, "What do you think this book is about?" Most members agreed it was about how we view events, both as they happen and as we remember them later. We discussed how the main character would constantly revise his view of events as he learned new details that invalidated his original and/or current assessment. Many members drew comparisons with April's selection,"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, as to how we communicate the "truth." One member who was unable to attend the discussion wrote, "The protagonist never did connect with me. He did not seem to me to have any unusual emotional depths. . . . Why does a book so highly thought of, bore me to pieces?" Yet another member who was present said she loved the book and that it really "spoke to me." Another member thought the story contained a lot of humorous moments and very much captured the typical male psyche. Everyone had some opinions on the characters and events.
