I really enjoyed this book, though it as not at all what I thought it was. Perhaps I more than others relate to existentialism and searching for meaning in suburbia. I saw other reviews that critique this book "for nothing really happening", which I suppose is true - nothing really happens. of course I would argue that nothing really happens in most of life, especially during life's most important moments. That said, I do think things happen in this book, but that's not even the point - the point is this was the advent of exploring the pointlessness of life in American literature. If that type of thing sounds alluring to you, I highly recommend. If that sounds like a huge pain, then skip it (though I'd feel bad for you).