I picked this up used at a local shop and I must admit that even though I am in my 30's and an avid reader, this is one of only a handful of fiction books that I have read. The theme was a total surprise and I really enjoyed the book as the 19th century has been the focal point of most of my reading. I only gave it 4 stars because in the end, though the book had me laughing throughout and was very entertaining, it both began and ended abruptly with the oddest of situations. The story didn't seem complete. But I'm not a big fan of fiction anyway so take it with a grain of salt.