Since there were no reviews of this book on Amazon, I decided to give it a try. Having read his debut novel and the first three of the Quartet, this book is a bit slower in terms of action but I found it to be the most cerebral of his books so far. Whittemore is a modern master of storytelling, but his strength is dialogue. The conversations that take place here are beautifully written, rivalling only those of William Gaddis. As I begin his last novel, I wonder why the publishing industry has let these books fall out of circulation? Whittemore's novels are a secret history of the 20th century. One last note, I have read that his first novel has nothing to due with the Quartet, not true. There are bits and pieces that filter through the Quartet. All interested parties should read his first book before trying to decode the mysteries of the Quartet.
