Strange. The main character of this story is not even two years old yet, so he's not really much of a main character it turns out. Instead, the book relies on its diverse cast to make up for the absence of any real plot, making it something of a weird gothic sitcom set in the Winchester Manor but populated by theater kids.

I shouldn't have liked it as much as I did, but the prose really is that good. My onliest real nitpick is the emotional detachment I had for some of the experience but I do find some of the images very intense and hard-hitting so it was a balanced reading all things considered...

You need to be patient with it though. It's a demanding novel. But very rewarding.