james salter: light years

Very mixed feelings about this novel. I spent time trying to find the word to describe my annoyance: is the style "precious" or "pretentious"? There were a few great moments: "To her husband she was understanding, even affectionate, though they slept as if there were an agreement between them; not so much as a foot ever touched. There was an agreement, it was marriage." And this: "Solid, generous, practical, he was all hull; he had no keel. The rudder was small, the compass drifting."