I gave a book to a coworker, saying that it was one of the most depressing books I'd ever read, but that I thought she might like it. In return, I think she felt compelled to suggest something depressing in return. This was pretty depressing. I didn't care for the protagonist at all, and I never really bonded with the book. Still, it was more or less the perfect kind of novel to travel with. Required just enough attention to allow me to focus during a long flight, but not so much focus that a few interuptions of the food network on the seatback in front of me would create a problem.
