After reading all the critics, I was struck by the differences in likes and dislikes. First, there were those who responded with a genuine like. Good entertainment, a wonderful use of a literary device (parallel lines) and a message. Then there were those who were thankful to see the message, to become better people because of it. Then there was the other side- - those who seemed personally insulted- - yes, i-n-s-u-l-t-e-d because, uh-hmm, because they might see themselves in the story? A little uncomfortable with that? As an avid reader of a broad range of fiction, I don't see a need that writers should avoid unpleasant subjects, or that they should be politically correct on all sides, whatever that is. TC Boyle may have written a novel with characters that might strike some as clichés or one-sided or whatever, but so did practically every other author worth reading. The fact that he makes you think, the fact that he writes about 'ideas'... that's heady stuff.