It's not as bad as people make it out to be -- I won't defend it as one of
his greatest hits; it's just not his top writing, and it's filled with a lot
of tired items, such as reruns of old gags. But there are intriguing aspects
of the book regard some his notions, such as honor and masculinity (a girl
is more of a man than any man), and one must wonder what it was that made
him consider it one of his best books, although we know that an author's
opinions about his own writing are always suspect.

Hilton Obenzinger