Whereas the Candide-like picaresque of the first half persuasively evokes life under brutal totalitarianism, the identity-switching and intrigue of the second part seem to originate in little more than the need to spinayarn.
Anyone can join in the regular Victoriana-inspired Chaos Thaoghaire nights, as long as you can stand in front of a crowd and spinayarn that is vaguely rooted in reality - and do so without notes.
Whereas the Candide-like picaresque of the first half with its absurd but fully plausible turns of the screw persuasively evokes life under brutal totalitarianism, the identity-switching and intrigue of the second part seem to originate in little more than the need to spinayarn.