This is a densely packed novel, full of keen, witty observations. Whitehead sets us up with a series of characters and reveals a good chunk of the denouement early in the novel, so the pleasure comes from seeing how all of the threads he has laid out eventually get braided together. The short chapters jump around chronologically with John Henry himself and all of those who have followed in his wake: balladeers, memorabilia collectors, the US postal service, and the freelance writer J., our protagonist. It is a joy to read Whitehead's descriptions of individuals or crowds, all of which lend an air of realism to what otherwise might seem like some rather absurd events.