Gilead is written in the form of a letter from elderly father to young son, from the pastor of a moribund Iowan church to his son's future adult self. 
 Things I liked: Meditations on faith and mortality from an self-admittedly sheltered, rooted, parochial character. Complex relationships, subtly conflicting emotions, communal norms and intimacies of bygone days, multigenerational arcs of identity and redemption. Iterations of father/son separation and reunion. Different kinds of fatherhood. Quiet moments of beauty and joy held close to the heart. 
 Many parts are absolutely beautiful. Large stretches of it are so boring... and then the end feels magnificent. It's quite possible I would have enjoyed it more at a different stage of my life.