17 years this book has hung over my head. I’m glad I waited I think. If I had read it when I was younger I think I would’ve hated it. I know I would have, actually. Tried reading before in about 04 or 05 and I hated it. With age and experience, however, it became something I could truly savor and appreciate and understand. It’s a beautiful novel; really, the story of 20th century America and the dawning of a new age—one that rose from the death of a more innocent era. Chabon’s prose is lovely and engaging, pulling you through its complex plot towards an emotional climax that leaves you pimpled with goosebumps. Stellar.