such a fine review, Paul. I'll put it on hold at SPL today.

thanks for the tip, hot tipper paul.

is it as good as the new york gush for tonights elliot bay press release?

I finally read this book - my putting it on hold at the library was a reaction to reading your review - and I must say, I pretty thoroughly disagree. I thought the prose had its lovely moments, but there were certain intrusions of ludicrously tragic plot developments of Irvingesque proportions (no spoilers, but I think you know what I mean) that rendered the whole thing kind of a confusing mishmash. Her attempts at plottiness kind of ruined the book for me, alas.