I laughed out loud when the fathers and sons were interacting near the beginning of the novel because the generational gaps were something that I'd seen particularly between my daughters and their mom. The nihilism vs tradition could be replaced by almost anything that changes over time but the discussions would be similar in tone. It could be atheism vs religion, gender identity, social programs, foreign policy, or even something as mundane as rock and roll. The parents being sad about losing touch with kids was poignant for me since my kids are closing in on moving out.

There's actually very little plot or action. Lots of traveling back and forth between households and talking about what's important and what the differences are between perspectives. I wouldn't have enjoyed it much before I was 30 and I know that I like it a lot more because I am a parent of someone able to express their own perspectives.