Helpful Score: 1
I compare this book to an incredible rich chocolate cake: so densely packed that it's almost too flavorful to swallow. I couldn't even finish it because it weaves so many threads of its characters' lives that I had a hard time moving through the chapters. But that's John Barth for you: a lot of story; lots of details; lots of ideas. Tidewater Tales isn't for me, but for anyone who can dive into a book and not come up for air for hours at a time, it may be a very worthwhile treat!