I'm slogging through this and it just seems to be a bit depressing. Minor characters are introduced for what appears to be simply delivering them unto death or obscurity later in the story. In addition, the oddity issues have become less ghost story and more unbelievable. This was recommended by a friend and I thought I would like it for the mysterious aspects and simple frame story outline, but it just falls a little short. Glide that I got this from the county library instead of purchasing. Liked what another reviewer called neo-Victorian. Tedious, overworked, but excellent for some who really enjoy this style.