I read this a few weeks  after reading The City and its Uncertain Walls, the rewritten original story on which this book was based. This new translation includes about 100 pages that was edited out of the originally published book. I have to say that I prefer The City and its Uncertain Walls, the story feels warmer - the characters are more rounded, with more back story and context. This book is more of a writing challenge.  It's wackier, more fast moving, but the characters feel one dimensional to me.