I enjoyed this far more than I expected, largely because of its historical setting and what I learned about Mexico, Trotsky and the early HUAC hearings. I also appreciated what we discovered about the power of the press, prejudice in the USA during the war years and even some Mexican cooking methods! Okay, maybe the book was longer than needed [too many of the newspaper extracts] and perhaps the complex structure was rather confusing at first, but once the narrative started to unfold and we followed Harrison Shepherd's travels between the two countries, the novel's grip tightened. Two other features must be mentioned: the plethora of fascinating minor characters, especially the women [Harrison's wayward mother, Frida, the queen of her entourage, the dependable and loyal Violet Brown], and the motif of the lacuna itself with so many of the word's meanings being suggested in the story's development.

If the reader has the determination to persevere through the confusion of the first 35 pages and reach Mrs Brown's notes that put what has just been read into context, then the plot's vicissitudes and the hero's changing fortunes will keep him hooked for the next 600+ pages.