...I think he has a uniquely American perspective. I find it difficult to relate to some of the cultural and sociopolitical mores that he describes, because I've only ever seen them on TV, read about them in a book, or seen them on the silver screen. This means that my enjoyment of a lot of his work is in a rather abstract sense, rather than engaging with the text, like I can with (say) Nick Hornby or even Iain Banks.

I think that the American all-or-nothing (at least, it seems that way; but then, empty vessels make the most noise, etc; I'm talking about what I can see and hear) approach to religion is something particularly alien. I suspect that it's this culture of hell-fire Baptist and primitive Methodist teaching that provoked his ire.

100% on-target on the rich folk, though. Rich is as rich does, be it over here or over there.