Ryan i agree 100 percent with you on the point that the dialect used for the book is very poor and is distracting from the reading. But i have to disagree with your idea of this book being a literary classic first off just because celebrities say a good word about it doesn't make it good and also the book is does not have a consistent story line, in the beginning it seemed to me like it starts off with the main character as an old lady with her friend. Then it goes back to her childhood with out any good transition. After that the book seems to branch off in unimportant subplots like when the book just focuses the life of the donkey, COME ON PEOPLE!!!!! Talking about a donkey for almost a whole chapter when it has no apparent ties to the storyline, plot, or any main characters detracts from the book. Unless some one can enlighten me on this i cannot agree with this book being any good.