Review of A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters

Labeling this as a novel is somewhat of stretch, as this book is more of a loosely-connected collection of short stories. There's a definite nautical theme running through many of the tales, recurring mentions of woodworms & Noah's Ark, ironic twists, and quite a few wry jabs at Judeo-Christian myth. Quite fun, with some surprisingly poignant interludes.

PS: One of the stories is about The Raft of the Medusa, a 19th century painting by Theodore Gericault. Instead of making the reader Google it, there's a surprisingly generous color foldout of the work in the book. I thought that was a nice touch.