A Moment in the Sun

A book that I've often seen described as Pynchonesque, but I think it's more like Dickens: lots of characters, lots of digressing subplots, and a sympathetic view of the lower classes and downtrodden. Unfortunately, not all of the characters and subplots are really all that interesting. I couldn't stand the Philippines parts, which is a shame because a trio of most enjoyable characters were crammed into the plot, rather than being able to operate on their own. Also, I just couldn't get into Sayles' attempts to recreate the films, minstrel shows, and muckraking newspapers of the time. Pynchon has the talent for describing films and songs and making them still be engaging; Sayles, for all his talent in crafting characters and writing dialogue isn't quite at that level yet.