This book has a fascinating structure, some really beautiful imagery and some striking set pieces, but it's also an overlong slog and a lot of it felt off putting. It somehow both feels timeless and extremely dated. I can definitely see the influence on other books that I've enjoyed. I'm glad I read it but I don't think I'd ever read it again.

This was complicated. Delaney has a skill as a writer that’s undeniable, but the content, specifically age dynamics in relationships and graphic scenes with dubious consent, makes this hard to enjoy. Being written in the 70s and the circumstances of Delaney’s life lend a lens to view this work through that makes it understandable (though not better).  The symbolism and story arcs in this story are near impossible to follow and that brings a considerable deal of mysterious fun to our unreliable narrators adventurous story. I can see how polarizing this novel is and also how it has become a queer sci-fi classic