I made it. It's taken four weeks - the longest read I remember by some distance - but I gritted my teeth and kept pegging away. I'm been neither edified nor entertained by the gauntlet I've run. The central character of the book (no-one could call him a hero) is an improbable mix of spinelessness and self-assurance. The plot is tedious. I am glad it's over, and I'll approach any future Donna Tartt books with extreme caution.