This novel hits a lot of notes – it’s really funny, pretty meaningful. There are some great sentences and turns of phrase. It manages to talk about aging, queer culture, writers, and San Francisco in a way that felt original and interesting every time. When describing a romance, he writes “It took a long time for it to be sad.” When shown to a writers retreat in Japan, the host says “Here is a possibly inspiring view.” Good stuff.
It’s also a very quick read - I rarely finish books within a week, and this took three days. Very readable! After reading a few duds, I was hoping for a sure shot and this already-popular Pulitzer-prize winning novel did the trick.