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Title: How did this book win such a major award?
Review: Imagine someone writes 243 pages and then drops the manuscript on the floor. The order gets all jumbled but instead of putting them back in order the publisher produces the book as is. Well, that's what you get with Charming Billy. I know some people are so vain as to consider great literare something that is difficult to follow (like Faulkner). But McDermott is no Faulkner and this is certainly not the quality of book that should win the National Book Award. The story wasn't bad but it was poorly presented. Our reading group read this book and every member just labored through this book, griping all the way. If this truly was the best that American authors had to offer in 1998, then perhaps the publishing houses should simply shut down for a year or so until authors get the filth and bile out of their systems.
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