His characterization is well done, as it needs to be - there is very little "plot", per se, throughout the novel, though we touch upon the thread here and there enough to feel the looming sense of dread at the end as the plot closes to its conclusion. His characters - all of them - have a realism that is pleasing, though the characters themselves are less than heroic - each entirely very human, dead or alive.
Thematically, I'm still mulling over what Beagle may be attempting to say in this novel, and probably will for years to come. It's a story about obtaining clarity about oneself and what is really important to oneself, I think, and about defining our relationships to others, particularly those we love. It is a deft, haunting work, and I look forward to re-reading it again in the future.
