For all his self-ascribed dementia, Fred Exley, the narrator of this novel, is moderate and mild-mannered. Next to the extreme behaviors exhibited by characters integral or incidental, Exley's behavior seems benign, often ineffectual. Many early Watertown friends appear and reappear in this tale; their lives and that of the narrator intersect at odd but believable points.

Others—O'Twoomey, The Brigadier, Robin Glenn—play larger roles. The author introduces characters abruptly, often, but is adept, however, at exposing interpersonal relationships as a story unfolds.

At the outset, Ex is en route to Hawaii and his brother's deathbed. He writes: "The Brigadier served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and I thought his tale might tell us something of the mid-twentieth century American Nightmare. Alas, The Brigadier and I shall never—at least together—tell the story of his life." Instead, as critic Mary Cantrell writes, "It...