I had some difficulty with the plodding pace at first - and then I got used to it. This book is meant to be savored as one would savor a good drink, tasting each sip. There is so much detail and nuance on each page, and I frequently stopped to research some aspect of the real world history that GGK drew on. It made my reading so much richer knowing where the backdrop came from, and it was a real treat for me to learn about Byzantine art and culture when before I had no cause to learn about it in any depth.

Highly recommended and on to the sequel :-)