The story takes the form of a stream of consciousness deathbed confession that begs to be read in one sitting. The entire book (until the final page) is composed of a single paragraph, a style that works because of the hypnotic quality of the author’s writing. In addition to being a great historical novel of Chile under Pinochet, the book asks pointed questions about the social responsibilities of artists and intellectuals, questions that the narrator repeatedly fails to confront in his own life.