I hadn't read this in years and really enjoyed going back to it. The dryness of the humour and the gentleness of the story make it one of my favourite comfort reads, I like the friendship between Dolly and Silas as a mutual search for the meaning of his experiences, and the description of recovery from a long period of blank despondency. Also I had forgotten Priscilla who is FANTASTIC, she belongs on anyone's list of C19th protolesbian characters.