I rather liked it - the mother had such a strong personality she was practically stepping out of the pages. The boy's descriptions of family life interspersed abruptly with his mother's letters make for an interesting format, the reason for which becomes clear later on. Yes, I can see why someone says on this page its downbeat but it is more than made up for by the eccentricity of the mother. We all love an eccentric, right? What *are* they going to do next?