Les Savage returns along with his exemplary qualities as a hard fighting American Man. Qualities that can't be freed from his personal fixations and obsessions. His iron tenants are that life is hard, satisfaction elusive, and happiness never without cost. If there was something grindingly literal-minded and relentless about him, who could say that he ever ducked anything difficult? A loyal friend, his strenuous, often difficult life is noble, but his tragedy - for it is a kind of tragedy of American traditions, steers the plot into the Black Comedy of American success. Bailey has the reader laughing and shedding a tear before reaching the unforeseen conclusion.