This book isn't for everyone, the imagery is graphic and at times, terrifying and the characters are heartbreakingly misguided and flawed. Selby's writing style allows the reader to experience the tragic lives of Sara Goldfarb and her son Harry and their pathetic attempts at achieving the American Dream at any price. What's most startling and painful to read is how unflinchingly these characters cling to their naive aspirations even as their world crumbles around them. I read this for my Natural and Realism in American Literature Course and probably wouldn't have bothered to under any other circumstance. It's a tough read, at least it was for me, but there's no denying Selby's awesome abilities as a writer.