I was initially intrigued by the stylistic conceit of this novel, but ultimately, I found it unsatisfying. I was engrossed in all the stories on the way "up" the narrative pyramid, but found my engagement waning on our way back "down." The connections were sort of clever, but in the end, didn't really affect the larger story at all.

I did enjoy each short story on its own merits very much. In the end, this was ambitious and clever, but it just didn't totally work.