This tale never lets up. It starts at a full head of steam and somehow manages to impart some lesser-known (at least to me) history in the process. Yes, it might help to know Spanish. I know a few words and phrases but just plowed right through those few passages, and laughed when I could. This is breezy, somehow, and dark at the same time. The voice is one-of-a-kind and for that alone deserves high marks. Junot Diaz sets a high bar at the outset and never backs down--or off. Diaz slips in all sorts of fun references, riffing off his main character's fascinations and sprinkling in neat tidbits of current events too. Don't overlook the footnotes. I liked this book best when Oscar was on stage but his family history, and the wonderful way this whole book was constructed, make for a compelling, memorable read.