I've been reading this book for months. I started it four books ago. The thing is, I liked it from the beginning. But it's just so looong. 900 pages, y'all. I began reading it but then found another book I wanted to read, and I just couldn't stand to wait 900 pages to read the other book. So I put this one on hold. And I did that four times. Commitment issues much?

But even though I read four books in the time it took me to read the first 200 pages of this one, let me just say that the last 700 pages FLEW BY. No, really. My god, Wally Lamb can WRITE. Like, for real. And this is not just a good story. There is symbolism and philosophy. Ooh, and themes! Rampant themes. Really, it's enough to make a former English major want to sit down and chart it all out and then write a 15-page paper. JUST FOR FUN.

However, I wouldn't recommend this novel to just anyone. It's heavy. No really - the book weighs like five pounds. And yeah okay, it's a heavy read, too - it's a bit of a downer. Depressing even, in parts. The novel is about twin brothers, Dominick and Thomas, who have suffered an abusive childhood and are now struggling to cope as adults. Thomas is schizophrenic and spends his days in a mental institution. The focus of the novel is Dominick - his fight to give his brother the best life possible, his need to deal with the guilt he feels, his attempts to understand his past and his family's history. I have never had a dream about a book before, but this one caused strange dreams almost every night. It affected me - it is real, honest, and painful. (*SPOILER ALERT* And because of that, I felt the hunky-dory happy ending was unrealistic, inappropriate, and disappointing. But that's my only complaint.)

This is a compelling novel. All 900 pages.