Great book that is occasionally mired in its (admittedly) necessary asides. The narrator retelling frequently drifts off in to observations, musings, and dreams. The narrative defines the character of the book but periodically left me feeling like I was fighting through the prose to get to the story. The progress and intensity is gradually ramped up and, when put next to the asides, can feel incredibly slow at times. It pays off at the end as the chaos, in the story and the storytelling, come together.

If the story and the characters work for you but you find yourself struggling against the actual text consider Horne's [b:This Unhappy Planet|8192133|This Unhappy Planet|Marc Horne|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1281683952s/8192133.jpg|13038924].