berkeley offers a very interesting — one could almost say charming — dialogue between two characters who somehow seem to rise above their station as the author's mere talking points and actually deliver to the reader witty repartees and delightful character development.

as for the philosophy, what can i say? berkeley makes fair points for his position, and philonous excellently handles hylas' retorts and refutations with ease for the most part (though, quite tellingly, he appears weak in certain points, most notably in trying to argue that murder can't be justifiably traced to God's great grace) and hylas is simply hitched along a philosophical ride that leads to illumination at long last.

students of philosophy should read this at least once. the edition i read (broadview press, 2012) also offers quite the helpful introduction and some handy appendices that would help for people who want to gain a deeper understanding.