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Title: A Flawed Masterpiece
Review: As other reviewers have stated, the opening passage "Knoxville: Summer 1915" (which was separate from the original manuscript)sets an impossible standard for the rest of the novel. It is undoubtedly one of the most adept, vivid, moving prose poems in the English language. The novel itself is characterized by a profound honesty and humanity-- these are some of the best-rendered characters I have ever encountered. The plot is very simple (the most crucial incident in the book takes place within the first fifty pages), and yet its message is beautiful and wise and sad. This is not a "perfect" book by any means, but it is a masterpiece in its own right.
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