This is the 2008 Pulitzer prizewinner for literature. It is rich, but simultaneously gritty. There is a lot of what is termed in reviews "street language," which felt a little brutal--especially since I was listening to the excellent audiobook. Still, this book is rich with varied use and experiments with language, cultural and historical references, immigration issues, and third world issues (Dominican Republic).

It is basically the story of intelligent but socially inept, Oscar, a comic book and "speculative genres," i.e., science fiction/fantasy, fanatic. He is a hopeless (truly) romantic, who manages to get close enough to women to actually develop platonic intimacy, but is always frustrated by no physical progress with them. I really loved the book because the characters are so flawed, real, but sympathetic, and the experiments with language, from the most vulgar to the most challenging of erudite vocabulary and cultural references are really intellectually stimulating.

--Recommended by Susie

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