Wolfe is, frustratingly, one of those authors I feel like I need to read within the context of a seminar because I never get what he's doing otherwise.
It doesn't help that this is both a sequel (thanks, book jacket, for mentioning that!) and possibly not finished at the time of the author's death.
But I've read other Wolfe and I would not have assumed either of those things.
And also the premise and set pieces and the whole EVERYTHING is just so interesting and strange that I can't help but assume it was on purpose and the disjointedness reflects the characters as much as the book's circumstances.