While I will admit that this book was extremely long (as is somewhat the style of Joyce Carol Oates), it was worth the 2 weeks it took me to finish this. I really felt that the footnotes (like in The Women by T.C. Boyle) brought the narrator to life, and in this case added a much-needed relief to what otherwise would have been unbelievably long. I loved Skyler's narrative but felt that the progression was rushed; by the time of the conclusion I kept forgetting that the long-standing mystery of the had been solved. It was, however, fulfilling for Skyler to know that he really didn't do it (though I hardly noticed he felt this way until after he'd discovered the true murderer). Besides this, I found it to be a greatly written and extremely fascinating novel. Any recommendations for the next book from her?