This book was a huge disappointment to me. I think, first of all, that is was mis-named. It should have been called, "A Pointless Life". I found myself hoping that one of the characters would have a more positive outcome, but every character was left lonely and essentially loveless. Jeffrey was such a likeable character, and I wanted so much to read about him finding purpose in his suffering. Instead, he was left alone with no sense of connection to anyone. The young lad who grew up in a work house and went on to own property really seemed to be headed in the right direction, but he became disconnected from the people around him. The story about the young girl who later became a ground-breaking neuroscientist was another study in lost love and disconnection. Jan, the nanny who cared for other people's children, seemed to have no real connection to anyone. And Jack/Freddy was a tragic character who loved someone deeply and lost her for no apparent reason. I found myself shaking my head and wondering why I had wasted my time.