This book reads easily, like a fairytale. It has the appropriate denouments and rising action and the reader never has to backtrack. Words are not wasted and everything flows. Great story and meaning. Only one word of caution: remember that this is written by a middle-aged German man in the 20s about India. His representatioons of Eastern religion are inaccurate, but its not enough to detract from any overall meaning from the book.

It started with a great plot...until he actually wrote it. It was overwritten (it takes pages before something happens) and the protagonists were hard to like. Boring, sappy novel written as if he trying to imitate Victorian prose. There are a couple twists, but the main characters are such morons, it underscores the little action that does happen.