After a slow start that focuses rather too closely on the subject at hand (literary discourse, structuralism, etc), Small World evolves into farcical series of coincidences to rival Tales of the City. One of the diffuse protagonists' Grail quest seems rather too silly for my eyes - unschooled as I am in the ways of the extreme classics - but the book works on the whole because of the intense and ridiculous tapestry woven between its pages.

There is nothing particularly profound about the contents of Small World, but the eventual tightness of its structure allows for a highly enjoyable read and showcases Lodge's accomplishments as a writer. It wins bonus points because of its not-at-all villainous German WWII officer.