It was translated from the French into British English, and Americans have to do the second translation mentally, which, in addition to the loads of unfamiliar cultural and political and philosophical references, makes it a tough read for such an unassuming little book.

The story ppppllllooodddssss along. By the end, I just kept hoping that the kids would put him out of his existential French misery.

As several other reviewers have pointed out, the author spends a lot of time on character studies of peripheral characters such as faculty spouses and parents of victims, but only sketches the adolescents in quick, broad strokes.

On a positive note, the author has a different very different voice then one might encounter in most American and British novels, and some uniques turns of phase amused (and startled). But not enough to recommend plowing through this long, dreary, rainy tale.