One book with many different stories, intertwined. Most were good, some didn't do it for me. The courtroom drama I liked, along with the flashbacks and cross-examinations. The police procedural bits were a little too casual in the beginning and a little too convenient in the end. The romantic (or should I say the Moby Dick) side story was mostly irritating - but probably a better love story than Twilight. The racism (and/or nationalism) was accurate and gave an excellent counterpoint to the main story. The descriptive language was beautiful. Mother nature was, throughout the book, a bitch. I have not seen the movie, and don't plan to.

This is the second book in my quest to read from my friend's "10 books that influenced" lists, and I look forward to discussing it with Kila. For me, this book would have been much better without Ishmael.