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The writing is beautiful and goes a long way in redeeming some of the book’s weaknesses. It really is the best writing I’ve read in a while. Early on, someone asked me how the book I was reading was and I’d said that it was devastatingly beautiful. The problem is that, as good as the writing is, Three quarters of the way through, I just wanted it to end.

Some issues:

The book says it’s about the relationship between four men but it’s really only about two of them and, even then, leans heavily in the direction of one man - Jude - and his tragic life. The story is really about him.

Malcolm is nearly invisible as a character. Why does this character exist?

The whole second half of the book could have been lopped off. It would have been an excellent book. Instead, it goes on too long and is too focused on Jude’s brokenness.

Every single person Jude has ever met up until school is evil incarnate.

An adult being adopted? This was unexpected and, because it was such an odd thing, I kept expecting it to figure into the story in a big way but it never really does.