It was a good book... surely, if it wasn't good, it wouldn't have been recommended by friends :) It had some weaknesses, of course! Let's do it well... First of all, the part where he was severely beaten by his father for singing that song, and a few days later (?!) when he went out with Portuguese and heard that Portuguese told the seller that he loved her! The part where he heard that a Portuguese died due to a train accident and many other parts... his novel was full of tenderness and reality and some parts brought tears to one's eyes.
Parts of the book that I liked: I really knew what pain meant...pain didn't mean being beaten to the point of unconsciousness. It wasn't cutting your leg due to a piece of glass and getting stitches in the pharmacy. Pain is something that breaks a person's heart and a person inevitably is to die with it without being able to share his secret with anyone. The pain that leaves a person without the strength of his arms, legs and head, and he does not even have the strength to move his head on the pillow.