I don't usually have patience for books paced as slowly as this one; if it weren't for Atwood's exquisite language, I likely would have set this one down before part two. A study of three deeply-flawed people caught in a web of their own faults' making, this book examines how unhealthy behaviors conspire to doom their relationships, leaving little hope that they will transcend their flaws any time soon. While sad, and at times somewhat sluggish, the book has a haunting resonance that ultimately is worth the slog.