From Publishers Weekly First met in Beyond the Bedroom Wall ， Jerome and Charles Neumiller are the focus of this monumental novel， told in interlocking segments， that conveys the brothers' symbiotic bond and complex relationship. According to PW ， "often elliptical and oblique， and initially somewhat confusing， the vignettes gain strength and resonance as they cumulatively depict the events of the brothers' lives." Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal Charles Neumillerdivorced， alcoholic， out of workrelives his North Dakota boyhood in an endless series of bittersweet， whiskey-induced flashbacks. Every sensory impression from these formative years is vividly recalled， every episode in the ongoing psychodrama between Charles and his older brother Jerome is replayed. Sporadically， the narrative refocuses on the present， and we see Charles blowing jobs， sneaking drinks， and holing up in cheap hotels. These infrequent awakenings stand out as the most interesting chapters in a work that otherwise seems to sink under the weight of period detail. While not absolutely necessary， familiarity with the acclaimed Beyond the Bedroom Wall ， the first installment of this huge family saga， will help readers decipher the second. Larger fiction collections will want both. Edward B. St. John， Loyola Law Sch. Lib.， Los AngelesCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.