Boy, this was long. I picked up this book because I was expecting a gripping, mysterious thriller - what has been going on at Hampden College, what’s with the elitist classics students, how will it all end?

All these questions do get answered, but not straight away. The reader has to fight all the way through 500 pages of a nearly endless succession of drunk (very drunk) nights at friends’ houses, enigmatic dialogues, more drinks, lots of drugs, long-winded descriptions of parties (and Greek lessons), and more heavy drinking. They also drink a lot.

I couldn’t help but feel let down by the mystery itself and how it played out for the characters. The book is loved by so many people, and I just expected more than a description of the wrong-doings of a group of college students who consume WAY too many drugs. Many times, seemingly meaningless scenes would end up being important after all, but only after hearing another bit of information 200 pages later.

On the bright side: This book is quite well-written, the characters are drawn in a way I’m afraid I might meet them in real life, and in some parts I could hardly wait to find out what would happen next. Since that happened too rarely, I can’t help but find the book just “okay”.
If you enjoy character-driven books more than plot-driven ones, and if you’ve been in a New England winter (or want to be), this is your book!