This is such a delightful book! I have read the unabridged version, so have no idea how everything developed in the first edition.
I got tons of pleasure watching favourite gods, especially those from my favourite mythologies, go back to life in modern environment. Only this element of the story already was funny/touching/horrifying/enchanting already. I can say that I got more pleasure out of small Intermissions telling tje stories of various creatures and their "carriers" than from the main story itself.
Since I like myths and quests, it was a pleasure to see a new hero passing through his initiation process, even though events, characters and locations seemed a bit random and attuned to the "hero and individuation process" story line. But well, as if they are less so in old myths and legends.
And, as a traveler, I enjoyed the spirit of a travelogue and was happy to follow into unknown (and maybe random) places. The slow, road-movie pace of the narrative was something that I liked, as well. It was a respite after all those stories charged with action and twists.
Tricks were a bore, I must admit, but I'm keeping my paperback.