This novel won the Pulitzer Prize. It is about a man who is disillusioned and in my opinion lazy or emotionally paralyzed. He has chosen the easy life by "working" for his wife's family's car dealership, but resents the customers, the Japanese cars he sells, and his family at the same time. He is clearly unhappy, feeling as if he has not lived up to his potential in life, and that he does not know what his potential or passion is. He is not strongly emotionally connected to anyone in his life, including his wife from whom he separated and reunited, and his son who he considers a freeloader and a disappointment. This book was written in the era of drugs and free sex, so there are a lot of references to partner swapping. The sexual stuff is not covered from the perspective of enjoyment, but rather as a way of fulfilling a need for excitement or of feeling fully alive. None of the characters in this book is warm and fuzzy, or truly likeable. They were all unhappy in their own ways. It made me sad to live in their world while I was reading this book. I wonder if everyone (adults) felt that way at that time of the 1970's? I hope not. I needed a break from thinking about this book, so it's taken me several weeks since finishing the reading to actually write my review.
Paula