I was a bit disappointed since I like Dib's Tlemcen so much. French on the left facing page & English translation by Paul Vangelisti on the right facing page. I started out reading in both languages, then switched to reading through entirely in French & then rereading entirely in English. Useful format if one doesn't read French, but I didn't find that reading a second time in English amplified the reading experience significantly. Purportedly a novel in verse form, L.A. trip does have setting, characters (narrator/protagonist, lover Jessamyn, & an anonymous "black boy"), but little to no action (whether interior or exterior) or narrative. ( )