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I will be the first one to admit it: John Myers Myers is smarter than me. He’s forgotten more about obscure literature than I will ever know.

This book reminds me of nothing more than a small child who has learned an exciting trick. "Look at me! Look at me!" it shouts. And at first you are impressed--hey, that's pretty good! But after a while, when it's just the same trick over and over, the child is still just as excited, but the watcher has started to get tired. "Okay, that's great. Now learn a new trick!"

Here's the trick: Protagonist Hero (character name: A. Clarence Shandon) from real-world Chicago gets shipwrecked in the Commonwealth, where all literature and legends exist at once. There he runs into Don Quixote, the Mad Hatter's tea party of Alice in Wonderland, Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Beowulf and a host of others, both famous and obscure (mostly obscure). Shandon kind of bounces around the Commonwealth, less having any real mission than meeting as many literary and legendary figures as possible. Oh, and he goes from a tool to a hero.

I appreciate what Myers is trying to accomplish here. And, frankly, if I caught more of the references than it would be much more amusing. But it’s very hard when I rely almost entirely on the glossary to understand things. And it’s not like I’m not decently well-read; but I think only someone like my friend who is getting her PhD in medieval literature will get the lesser-known Dark Ages saga figures.

And what’s up with all the references to eighteenth century novels no one reads anymore and not a single Jane Austen or Bronte sisters reference? Not even Dickens, if I'm not mistaken. It's like Myers wanted to be as obscure and academic as possible.

The story itself is obviously just a showcase for the references and a really blatant classic Hero’s Journey, which means it’s not actually interesting. The premise is amusing enough at first, but when it has neither character nor plot to sustain it, my interest wanes.

On the plus side, I learned that is a real word and not just an outdoor clothing & gear store. It means "encamping." Shandon bivouacs LIKE CRAZY in the Commonwealth.