Has some gleaming gems and wondrous insight into the human condition, but ultimately I could not stand the disjointed, stream-of-consciousness narrative and unending, comma-ridden sentences. Reading it was like listening to a friend - no, an acquaintance whom you can barely tolerate - go on and on about an obsession. And, to top it off, the friend/acquaintance happens to be an extremely disorganized person who is bad at telling chronological stories. And, of course, it has to be the worst obsession for another human being to have to tolerate: unrequited love. 
 Barely made it through the 250+ pages without banging my head against a wall. But for the interesting analysis of Upstairs Women and cleverly written passages, I would have given this uninspiring melodrama a 1. 
 2.5 stars