This was my first time reading Chabon. I like the way he writes and I really liked the story he tells in this book. This may sound odd, but I wanted the book to end so I could find out what happens.Is it for everyone? Probably not. If you are reading Dan Brown, it is not likely you'd like this - I attempted to read Dan once. You want some thing different and you like stories about people? This might be the book for you.The book, to me, is beyond description. There are plenty of long reviews extolling the virtues of this book. You don't need another one. If you are reading the reviews, you probably are interested. Take a chance. I did and it paid off.