Baird can never quite transcend his academic way of framing and relativizing experience. The writing is thoughtful but wordy and diffuse. One wishes more poetic pressure had been brought to bear on the scenes. Some kind of revelation is at hand, but none of the characters in this tantalizing novel seem able to focus on it.
Far from a doctrinal slog ... Baird does not deliver easy answers, nor imply simplistic morals. Instead, he lets uncertainty linger, particularly through the novel’s unusual preface ... Smart, smooth.
Intriguing, entertaining, and often searing in its critiques of academia, this is also a fascinating portrait of a family pulled apart by ambition and unexpected events.
A caustic send-up ... Baird’s satire takes no prisoners in its unflinching condemnation of those who hope for miracles while evading their day-to-day responsibilities. This packs a stinging punch.
