One of the great literary tributes to a complex paterfamilias in recent memory ... The first half is exhilarating; the second half is a huge bill come due ... Confronts readers with a perplexing question: Can someone be a good father but a bad man?
Staggering ... Junod writes that he 'became a writer in order to write this book,' and that is felt in his steady hand, elegant prose, and dogged, dizzying hunt for every kernel of truth.
Excruciatingly candid ... Though the pacing sags a bit in the middle, this is a gripping study of a larger-than-life personality that doubles as a sensitive self-portrait. It’s a winner.
