Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Dreaming of Babylon...sadness, futility, and dreamscapes

Brautigan's "Dreaming of Babylon" chronicles the dreamscape of a down-on-his-luck private eye. Drawing in seedy tones, he explores the inner dreamscape of the character. The escapism of the protagonist, as well as the hopelessness, mirror those Brautigan felt in this stage of his career. The inventive turns of phrase and wry humour are there, but an underlying sadness permeates the plot; the outcome, failures, and cramped, small dreams are known from the beginning. The protagonist is a stand-in for Brautigan, much as in "Sombrero Fallout" and other later works. As one who owns all his fiction, I think of this as one of the sadder books. Andy Reeves