Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: It's a "love it or hate it" book

Songs in Ordinary Time isn't a hard read because it's long or unique or sophisticated or suited only for highly literate tastes. It's a hard read because there are too many characters and points of view, some of the story lines go nowhere, and all of the characters continue to make bad choices throughout the novel with no sign of enlightenment or hope of redemption. If you're a reader who likes unmitigated dysfunctionality painted on a large canvas, you'll love this book. If you're a reader who wants to root for the characters or rejoice in them learning from their mistakes, you'll hate this book. I'm in the "hate it" category.