Yes, it took a long time for me to finish this book, but that is on me as I was reading several books simultaneously. Not my usual but that and some other things turned it into a slower read for me. It was easy to pick up when I could and gather myself back into the fascinating story. The writing is beautiful. I loved the prose and vocabulary. James used words- sometimes a word or two I needed look up- with wonderful depiction of sights and sound, personalities, scientific underpinnings ( of which I knew little), and was able to pull the story along. Just a fascinating read.