Walker Percy was one of the few truly philosophical American novelists: he didn’t just have his characters playact out ideas, but had them embody them.  Not all of his books hit the mark, but the ones that do are among the best fiction we have that has something valuable and real to say about our world.  He’s also a gifted storyteller and stylist; any one of his books are a pleasure to just read for the way he uses language so spellbindingly.