New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986. dj. Hardcover first edition - The rather hard to find fourth novel by the author of 'True Grit' - a 'cockeyed journey into an America of misfits and con men, oddballs and innocents.' Shortly after Portis's death, Brian Boyle writing for Slate described its influence among modern comedians. He comments that "its message has never been more relevant. ItÕs the perfect novel to explain QAnon, to explain Trump, to explain organized religion - he nails the reasons why cults, secret societies, and conspiracy theories grip certain members of society: namely, a desire for deeper truths and hidden meanings to explain a world that no longer makes sense. And, crucially, a dangerous abundance of free time." Donna Tartt in the NY Times stated "Pick up any novel by Portis and open it to any page and you will find something so devastatingly strange and fresh and hilarious that you will want to run into the next room and read it aloud to somebody. . . Though itÕs often said of Portis that heÕs the least known of great American novelists, I cannot think of another 20th-century writer Ñ any writer, American or otherwise Ñ whose works are beloved among quite so many differing age groups and literary tastes, from the most sophisticated to the simplest." 248 pp. ISBN: 0-394-546830.