Just to be clear, this is not a novel. It is a *detailed* account of the first circumnavigation of the globe. It is readable and presents first-hand impressions of the voyage's travelers. It is an interesting piece of history. For those that have travelled to other countries, this book will make you recall some of the first impressions that people have from other cultures.I wonder how people get interested about this book. For me, it was the nobel prize acceptance speech by Garcia Marquez in 1982 which included generous references to Pigafetta's story...