This novel is more in the mode of classic English literature than the modern novel. Words are used to weave a tapestry in the reader's mind. The extensive vocabulary used may bog down the limited reader. However, the power of the descriptions is matched only by the force of the ideas discussed in the text. An amalgam of philosophy, religion and ancient history provides the basis for an intense analysis of life, its meaning, its form, its purpose and its value. The small band of protagonists represents a cross section of society, much like the sanitarium guests in Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain. Many of the main characters can be viewed as allegories of specific groups of people. Characters move into illusion in their minds and into the real world until they lose the distinction and have to question what is reality other than illusion on a different plane. This book would provide an excellent basis for a discussion group. I highly recommend it to the serious reader