It is a bit of a chore to read if you want to get anything out of it; like most good literature it makes demands of you and you only get out what you put in. Th

It is a bit of a chore to read if you want to get anything out of it; like most good literature it makes demands of you and you only get out what you put in. The main character is loathsome, in a bizarrely innocent kind of way -- he's a torturer, he was raised a torturer, it's a good honest living that makes people say, "oh we need one of those, I didn't know they still existed", like a dishwasher repairman. You're not supposed to like him, and it's crucial to understanding the story that you don't believe everything he says. It's not for everyone but if you enjoy figuring out all the lies and misdirections and mistakes the narrator makes, it's quite an experience.