I began reading this book for a reading club, and almost quit. It seemed so disjointed and I was completely confused. But deciding to read on, skimming whole paragraphs if necessary, I eventually felt as if this were a great jazz piece. Disparate themes with disparate characters, each giving a different variation on a theme, until I finally understood in whole. Parts which very poetic and so beautifully expressed. I find myself feeling deeply entwined with this tapestry of characters and life.