This book grabbed me, but I couldn't tell from the outset where it was going or if I wanted to come along. Luckily the writing/translating is engaging, slightly offbeat and very moody. I was able to get over my initial hesitation and I ultimately enjoyed the book a lot. While I found certain elements of pacing and the way some of the plot points were revealed to be odd/less than ideal, I thought the creativity, characters and frame of the story more than made up for it. The structure of the book can be confusing (switching between view points without indication), but I thought the effect it created, where the reader has to tune in to figure out where in time and space they are oriented, was intentional and related to the themes of the book. Definitely an unusual book across many axes, with many references and layers embedded into it. For me it required some patience and effort, but I found the effort worthwhile.