House of Sand and Fog

I just finished reading Andre Dubus' acclaimed novel, House of Sand and Fog. It's dark and often rather grisly in its depictions of human evil. It's also mesmerizing; I couldn't put it down. I'm generally a slow reader, but I finished all 370 pages in three days.

What interests me the most about it is the fact that the central conflict is not at all black and white. In talking to others who have read the book, I've noticed that some pholks see Kathy as the good guy and the colonel as a bad guy; others see it the other way around.

Has anyone else read it? If not, I commend it to you; there's a little bit of strong language and some brief but explicit descriptions of sexual acts, but, for mature readers, it's an enthralling, challenging, and rewarding novel. One of the best I've read in a long time.