The book confirms that Night Vale's charms are, in part, in how short its stories are (typically 2-3 minutes, spoken) and in the performance of its lead.  Set down as a novel, the lack of characterization or character depth makes living with them this long almost unbearable. The tone's right, there's plenty of funny bits in here, but the fun of Night Vale includes its brevity, how you just get a taste of a character or situation before you move on.