A great work of immense subtlety and elegant ironic humour but unfortunately mostly boring.
At the age of 14 I read Herman Hesse's [b:Narcissus and Goldmund|5954|Narcissus and Goldmund|Hermann Hesse|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1374680750s/5954.jpg|955995] at 18 I read [b:The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid/The Golden Apple/Leviathan|57913|The Illuminatus! Trilogy The Eye in the Pyramid/The Golden Apple/Leviathan|Robert Shea|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386923913s/57913.jpg|813] I see now that both were perhaps inspired by this book or at least the same interplay of opposing ideas, currents of philosophy influencing major world events, but both were a lot more exciting to read.
I think I could appreciate the beautiful writing and start to appreciate the dialectics, but I need to be drawn back everyday to read as a pleasure not as a chore.
In other words I won't be recommending this one.