Like the events it's based on, Libra is more than it seems. A number of the characters in it so far are real people while others are made up, so without preexisting knowledge of people associated with the Kennedy assassination and conspiracies (aside from Kennedy and Oswald) it's hard to tell if someone is real or not. The fictional CIA people like Everett, Parmenter, and Mackey are really involved in their plan but not much else information is given about them. To me, Lee has been the most interesting character to follow so far since he's seemed like the most relatable. He comes across to me as someone who wants to escape the reality he's currently living in, and his chosen outlet for doing so is through the Marxist ideologies he learns out of the old books in the library. He imagines joining a communist cell and engaging in "night missions that required intelligence and stealth," something that sounds more exciting than going to school and living with his mom (37). He finds "the drabness of his surroundings, his own shabby clothes were explained and transformed by these books" (41). The reverence Lee holds towards the books and their ideas suggests that he thinks joining a communist cell would be the solution to his problems.
Another reason Lee's plot line is interesting to read is because there's the knowledge of what he'll do later. It gives his narrative a sinister overtone, and this overtone wouldn't be present if he hadn't assassinated the president. His fantasizing about being important and being part of history sounds concerning, but if he hadn't shot the president later his activities might be looked upon differently.
