This note does not contain major spoilers for the book.

A strange book, and perhaps one somewhat illuminated by the publication of For Us, the Living.

Not very well structured, and with a society very much at variance with his later efforts in some ways—notably central economic control. Very little "libertarian" viewpoint. On the other hand, this is the source of "An armed society is a polite society" as Heinlein quote, and in fact people do go armed in this society, and duel.