Not my favourite of his works, but a compelling and interesting read nonetheless. His writing style, as always, is impeccable - he walks a perfect balance between readable and poetic. I enjoyed the main character's musings on his relationships with his mother, his wife, his kids and his father-in-law, and also his engagement with literature, politics and current events as one of the super privileged. The plot pushed the story along nicely, but it was at times a little too absurd given the otherwise mundane nature of the events, notably with the criminal element. 
 This book also screamed "2003" - not just that it was actively set on a real day in 2003, but the politics, the 9/11 anxiety, and the character's whole world view all felt pretty dated. It is a bit odd that a book written only 13 years ago can already feel dated, but it really did - indicative of the style of the novel as a direct product of its time. 
 Overall a good read with intelligent and artfully constructed ideas, but perhaps not one I'll revisit in a hurry.