I have no idea what this book is about, or why it is so highly rated. The plot makes no sense and the people behave absurdly. I can only guess that this is yet another case of The Emperor's New Clothes: a "literary" author writes a "serious" novel that uses absurd "symbolism" to comment on some critical issue; who has the courage to be the first to say that it doesn't make any sense?

Oh, and what the hell was that Byron business all about?