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I’ve been on a year of O’Neill’s work ever since
first reading his newest novel, Godwin, this summer. By accident, I happened to read him in a particularly surreptitious way—that novel was a page turner and maybe good for the uninitiated; Netherland is a masterpiece; and this is further proof of his skill, but is by far the harder read.

This is one of his most celebrated novels, and I came to it, and by O’Neill himself, through first reading 2024’s “Godwin.” There’s quite a bit of lyricism in his prose and much introspection.

Being about halfway through, I’ve come to see this book as sort of a reinterpretation of Great Gatsby, his style recalls Saul Bellow, one of my favorites. Truly a great work of literary art! (so far)