I'm not sure I've ever been so confused about what to rate a book.

The character development and voice were lacking, despite the novel chronicling Simplicus Simplicissimus' entire life (at least, character development with any sort of logic behind it. Simplicus changes, but we as readers don't see a gradual, understandable progression). The plot and tone zig zagged between humorous ballroom scenes to horrific torture and back in a way that should have been jarring but felt completely natural, and in fact, enjoyable. The precise setting was often told but didn't mean much to me personally -- there was little difference between Germany and Switzerland in their descriptions -- but the overall /feeling/ of "20 years war" Europe felt... right.

Good, but I didn't quite connect to it. Plus the ending felt out of place and the novel therefore felt incomplete. Thus, 3/5.