This book is a paradox. Algren is incredible. His descriptions are so vivid. His characters are complicated. He‘s one of those writers that makes me think, “How did he think of that?!” I won‘t put it on my picks shelf. Some of my customers would end up angry. Some might thank me, but I think they‘d be writers. This book is dark and seedy. What makes it paradoxical is being really amazed at how beautifully Algren describes something utterly vile.