I truly relished this tongue-in-cheek comedy horror penned by Simmons.

After perusing the rather lackluster reviews, I had minimal expectations. However, to my pleasant surprise, it turned out to be a book that I eagerly anticipated delving into each and every day!

Simmons masterfully weaves between different writing styles to depict the two distinct periods within the book. Admittedly, the archaic style was a touch tiresome at the outset.

Just like the majority of his works, he whisked me away on a virtual journey to a distant locale. This time, it was the enchanting islands of Hawaii, which only served to heighten my anticipation of actually visiting them one day!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone in search of a light and entertaining read. All you need to do is be prepared to set aside your disbelief, and you're bound to have a jolly good time.

I also had read the novel at that time and actually had not included it in my GR. This is also astonishing because Dan Simmons was and is my absolute favorite author and because precisely this novel was responsible for the fact that I, on my part, spent a vacation in Hawaii.

During that time, I visited the settings that Dan Simmons had also visited with his fictional character Mark Twain. I am still infinitely grateful to both of them for the best vacation of my life, for which this book served as the godfather...

It's truly remarkable how a single novel can have such a profound impact on one's life. In this case, it not only introduced me to the wonderful world of Dan Simmons' writing but also led me to have an unforgettable vacation experience. The connection between the story and the real places I visited made the whole experience even more special. I will always cherish the memories of that vacation and the role this novel played in making it happen.

Perhaps this is the power of great literature - it has the ability to transport us to different places, both real and imagined, and to touch our hearts in ways we never thought possible.

Some of this was alright, but it was mostly a slog.

At first glance, certain aspects of the situation seemed acceptable. There were moments when things appeared to be going smoothly. However, as time went on, it became increasingly clear that the overall experience was rather arduous.

The tasks at hand felt like a never-ending uphill battle. Every step forward seemed to be met with an equal or greater resistance. It was as if there was an invisible force constantly pulling back, making it difficult to make significant progress.

Despite the few bright spots here and there, the majority of the time was spent slogging through the mire. The effort required to get through each day was substantial, and it often left one feeling drained and exhausted.

Nevertheless, there was still a glimmer of hope that things would eventually improve. Maybe with a bit more perseverance and determination, the slog would come to an end, and a more positive outcome would emerge.

There was indeed some interesting and fun stuff related to mythological beasties in the story. However, the characters left a lot to be desired. They were either unlikable, lacking in any real charm or appeal, or not very interesting at all. In fact, they seemed to be full of tired old cliches that made them feel unoriginal and one-dimensional.

Moreover, the length of the narrative didn't do it any favors. It was just too long to be truly enjoyable when populated with such a bland cast of characters. The story dragged on, and it was difficult to stay engaged with characters who didn't seem to have any real depth or complexity.

Overall, while the idea of mythological beasties was intriguing, the execution in terms of the characters and the length of the story really detracted from the overall experience. It could have been a much more engaging and enjoyable read if these aspects had been better developed.