Here's how good this novel is. I finished the English version last week and immediately started in on the Spanish version. At first, this book seems only to be an enthralling portrait of a nerdy immigrant kid. But, as Díaz told a Slate interviewer, his novel "is all about the dangers of dictatorship." Díaz recreates the quotidian terrors of Dominican life during the Trujillo regime.

A real in-depth novel that paints a vivid picture of the rise and fall of a character whose dreams and paranoia are too big for his reality. Although on the long side, Chandra uses beautiful imagery to immerse the reader deeply into a very violent crime underworld that spans most of Asia, and parts of the globe. An excellent read, and well worth the commitment of the reader to tackle this large novel.

Imaginative Jewish alternate history, look at identity politics & detective thriller combined! It's complex, funny and worth the hype.

This feels a bit like the TV show The Office come to life. Set at a Chicago ad agency facing layoffs at the end of the '90s, the author totally nails the dialogue, rhythm and "voice" of the workplace.