I finished it earlier in the week DC. I really have an even greater appreciation for the film now. My questions about the "dream sequence" have been clearly answered, in my mind anyway. I'll let you finish it before we debate it. I'm guessing that the author (Grey) based Noodles on himself because he very much got into his psyche. Without the "contemporary" sequences of 1968 it actually reads almost like good non-fiction. Speaking of which, it's a testament to Leone's brilliance that he envisioned adding the sequences of an aging Noodles. All in all, a very good read that made me want to see the film yet again.