A veritable study in ambiguity, this novel. Are we to understand that the people are: (happy & sad & frustrated) v rich - or: happy v sad v frustrated v rich - or: (happy & sad) & (frustrated v rich) - or (oh, hell with it) OK. One more thing. Are they: people like (members of the set of) your neighbors who may completely hide their private lives from you? (That is, they are unlike those of your neighbors who may not completely hide their private lives from you.) Or are they: people who are like your neighbors, regardless of how your neighbors behave & these people like your neighbors may completely hide their private lives from you? And what is the force of 'may'? Modal or epistemic? That's what I love about the classics. You can always find new meanings.