Not great writing. Riddled with plot holes. Obvious plot twists. Black & white characters. And yet that is exactly the source of pleasure in this book. It is great pulp that doesn't take itself too seriously. The ending is farcical, brilliant, funny and moving all at once.

I heard this as a B. J. Harrison classic tales unabridged audio book. Highly recommend the podcast and his voice acting. He brought the book to life which may explain why I enjoyed it so much.