<p> Playful and profound, <i>The Interrogative Mood</i> is a bebop solo of a book in which every sentence is a question. In it acclaimed novelist Padgett Powell&#151;a writer once touted as the best of his generation by Saul Bellow&#151;force us to consider our core beliefs, our most cherished memories, our final views on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In fiction as in life, there may be no easy answers&#151;but <i>The Interrogative Mood</i> is an exuberant book that leaves the reader feeling more alive. </p>