sigh. gimmicky, contrived. feels tired out like it took so long to write that it has no momentum now it's done? Almost, but not quite, like it was turned down as a movie script but got resurrected here as a novel ?

what kept me reading (and what relieved me from not feeling totally cheated of the time i spent with this book) is that many of the characters and settings are set up and introduced with a great care that makes them immediately recognizable or knowable. These moments in the book are wonderful stepping stones across an otherwise dark and morbid landscape.