Written in stream of consciousness style, the novel contains elements of short story, poetry, philosophy, and psychology intermingled into a multi-layered yet deceptively simple tale.
He later developed a different style from his early feudal extravagances, of rural scenes intermingled with tragic incidents of town poverty and aristocratic splendor.
Indeed, strict historical facts are frequently intermingled with mythical ones, making it sometimes difficult to discern true historiography and mythology.