I've just finished Part 1 (around 200 pages out of 1000 - unfortunately the flights I had planned were cancelled, and I didn't get time to read over the weekend!). So far I've been introduced to the characters and the book has explained their natures as well as the dynamics between each of them. It's quite heavy reading at points, especially some of the religious discussion and the fact that there are a good number of footnotes explaining certain references in the text. That said, the web of interactions and different moralities is quite fascinating. It requires a level of concentration to get through, but there's enough of an interesting story and exploration of big ideas to keep me hooked so far.