It is safe to say that we all have experienced grief in some form or another, but probably not under these horrific circumstances. Strauss is excruciatingly truthful (read his admission that he was essentially putting on a show for two pretty girls that come upon the accident scene) and generous to a fault as he lays bare his emotions and thoughts on the accident, then and now. He was often gauging his outward emotion on the emotions of others around him. All the while, he was really trying to understand the meaning of the accident.
On a side note: His writing style is unique and fluid, possibly coming from his fiction background (most notably for Chang and Eng). The chapters are short and poignant. Check out this interview with Strauss from the Daily Beast.
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