It tells the life story of a man, Ace, who had everything during some years and finally he will die alone and sad. He married three times but was only happy in his second marriage; he had three children: two with his first wife, and a daughter in the third: the only one of his children who loved him. With a fragile health, hospitalized on many occasions and a man who envied his brother Howie, not only for his iron health, but also for his professional and family successes. However, he had had a happy childhood working in his father’s jewelry: always surrounded by pretty girls and doing errands that entertained him. In addition, the summers spent happily on the coast of New Jersey with the rest of his family.
He tells us about his first marriage that ends up, after being accused of adultery. Later he will meet Phoebe, his second wife, with she spends the happiest moments of his life and has his daughter Nancy, who he adores. He worked in an advertising agency and was unfaithful with several women until Phoebe discovers everything and ends up abandoning him and hating him. Third marriage with a Scandinavian model, which turns out to be a disaster and her marriage fails again.
Loneliness is increasing. Also, by that time he has already been ill several times; for arterial, appendix, heart, etc. problems His health is fragile, quite the opposite of his brother Howie, with who he stops communicating by sheer envy.
Finally, he retires to a residence on the coast of New Jersey, recalling his childhood, seeking peace, and also taking advantage to be away from the Islamic terrorism that has just terrorized the entire American nation. There he dedicates himself to his great hobby: painting, which he will also teach to others residents, almost all suffering from health problems. He also starts losing close friends and start thinking about death, loneliness … He tries to get out of this situation having a new relationship with a young girl who ignores him. He doesn’t ask for help from his daughter and even calling his brother Howie, but he is in Tibet…
Ace is completely alone. He has more than 70 years, without illusions, plunged into absolute solitude, until finally, a day in which paradoxically he feels euphoric remembering the family protection he had had as a child, he ends up dying of heart attack.

For me, this book has been very difficult at first because it described many characters and is quite confusing. Vocabulary is not easy and you need a dictionary nearby, however, there are many words that you can understand by context.
The topics of the book are death and loneliness, and I think they are a common themes in books and movies, there is nothing new, nothing surprises you during the reading.

Silvia Vilasaló Cavero