This is a beautifully written book that deserves to be read out loud and be listened to carefully. It slowly charts the course of one man's life, so it probably won't suit readers with modern tastes or short attention spans (I had to keep putting it down myself). 
 What can you take away from the story? The breath-taking tragedy of one ordinary life. That is is too easy to cause unintended offence. How casually we choose to be cruel towards people we're not fond of. The satisfaction we find in slowly and steadily pursuing the things we love. And how quickly all trace of us passes away when we die. 
 It is a wonderful book for making you think a little deeper about yourself, the way you treat others, and what kind of legacy you will leave behind. Well worth persevering until the end.