Once again we learn that there can indeed be much ado about nothing. I remember clearly the public outcry about this novel when it came out, and about the only thing discussed was the violence in the book, and even that focused on couple of scenes. The much-heralded rat scene was about two paragraphs long, and if there hadn't been so much talk about it, I wouldn't have paid it a moment's notice.

I was surprised by how little violence there indeed is in the book. Sure some of it is extremely graphic and icky, but 90% of the book talks about different things, and they are more entertaining than the violent parts. Some of it is outdated so some of the effect is lost, but it's still a fun thrashing of the meaningless lifestyle that some people lead.