3.5, rounded up.

Having only read (and enjoyed) his more recent works, which haven't exactly been laugh riots, I wasn't really prepared for this earlier witty work. The one thing I really appreciated is how each of the three main narrators have distinct 'voices' - which I find is usually my bête noire when it comes to the multiple points of view style. What I didn't find all that successful was the story itself, or the fact that none of the three are easy to like - Stuart and Gillian being a bit - dull, and Oliver being an unmitigated a-hole, even though he somewhat hijacks the narrative with his exuberance. The ending is also a bit muffed, but I liked it enough to continue on to the sequel...