It might be an acquired taste-
Neal Stephenson once said that "The Big U" was his least favorite novel he'd written.
I don't know why. Aside from the fact that next to his other novels TBU is the width of a sliver by comparison, the story arc, characterization and writing are fantastic. An absurdist rendering of the intricate microcosom of college life, TBU happily wavers between farfetched and close to home. Smart, funny, thoughtful, ridiculous and at times panicky and anxiety-producing, Stephenson's first novel is well worth the read despite what the author himself may think of it.
