I kept reading because of the writing, not the plot or the characters. There were some brilliant passages. Otherwise, I didn't really understand the book. During the first third of the book the main character, an American, and a handful of villagers on a Greek island chased a donkey around the town until it stepped on a landmine. I'm sure it was an important scene, but I didn't get it.
bailed out less than halfway through. he writes well, main scenario was interesting/intriguing, but the story just didn't grab me -- a 25 page sequence of this guy chasing a donkey over an island, just didn't hold me, had to let go ....