Many of Alnilam's pages are split into two columns: the left, in dark print, representing Cahill's perception, and the right, in light print, representing the "objective reality" of the many people he meets. The use of physical blindness to portray psychological and philosophical insight draws on a long literary tradition that includes Oedipus, Tiresias, and Gloucester. The novel's dense, allusive prose forces the reader to undergo the same groping toward enlightenment as blind Cahill.
Each of Joel's instructors, fellow cadets, and female companions has a story to tell and a role in resolving the mystery.....
