The stories in the series have become more meditative and wistful as the main character aged, though this last installment takes a sudden turn in the last couple of chapters to bring it to the place it was meant to come to rest. There are probably a few things about the universe which never quite seem to make sense if one thinks about them too hard, a few tics which manifest themselves over and over again to nearly an implausible degree, but the emphasis on character in the midst of setting is what clearly matters to the author above everything. The books and the readings have won a number of awards and the fans of this author are numerous as well.