What a strange book. I wasn't sure what to make of Pym when I finished it earlier today, but after thinking it over for a while, I'm pretty sure I like it. I read it for a book club at work, and let's just say it was NOT a popular choice. The general consensus was that Pym was offensive and ridiculous, the protagonist was angry, and the characters were obnoxious. At the beginning of the meeting I was inclined to agree with many of the criticisms, but as the discussion went on, I found myself defending the book. Yes, the characters were thinly veiled stereotypes, but they were sincere and quite funny and THAT IS HOW SATIRE WORKS. Yes, the protagonist was angry, but justifiably so. And yes, the story was ridiculous, but so was Poe's original novel. Plus, this one featured the phrase "Ice Honkies," a dog named White Folks, and a merciless parody of "Painter of Light" Thomas Kinkade, so it's better by default. I wouldn't call it a favorite, and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but there were enough moments of brilliance to warrant a 3 star rating in my book.