I know these people! McCown's characters, while seemingly absurd, reflect familiar traits that you will associate with the local country club swells. The base motivations are all here - greed, love and lust - framed by a sense of quiet desperation. A pinch of Pynchon, a touch of Crews and a dash of McGuane, we need to hear more from this author.

This novel is a joy: perceptive, witty, slightly off-kilter. McCown's character-centered fiction will evoke a wry smile of satisfaction from all readers capable of appreciating its sly sense of humor, its subtly tinted satiric method. McCown's humor is never at the expense of compassion. And, once you have marvelled at this novel, try McCown's poetry as well; it offers the same graceful, taut language which we have come to expect from this author.

Entertaining and witty. McCown's characters are well-developed, and however absurd and comical, they are also real.

This novel is not original. Neither is it entertaining. So what's the point?

McCown sets out to make his protagonist, Nolan Vann, very likable, and he succeeds. He sets out to capture the positive aura of a small town where everyone knows everyone, and he succeeds there also, without whitewashing some unsavory aspects of small town life. The book is quite readable, but a little too slick. The final scene is particularly well written. For those readers who liked this book, but wish it weren't so slick, I recommend Shameless by Lisa Reardon.

I loved reading about the quirky, yet funny characters in this novel. I identified with Nolan's search for meaning in an ordinary life without guideposts, like his father's war, to lend him meaning. We all want to feel special and feel that we are doing something worthwhile and we want to be happy and loved. I rooted for Nolan to "get it together" and find his happiness. The writing style is fresh and I laughed out loud at some of the people in Nolan's little town, (especially the parts about "Fred"). I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes humor with great characters and a fresh outlook on ordinary humans who struggle to find their own war memorials.