I see what you mean-- but I thought it was great. I suppose the observation and the psychology were enough for me.

Do you have similar reactions to sf (or other genre fiction) in which characters tend to make plausibly bad choices, find themselves in no-win situations, and generally fail to save the world or become better people? I'm thinking in particular of Octavia Butler, having recently finished Clay's Ark-- a book I bet you'd hate. (The one I teach is Mind of My Mind.)