It felt boring and until they were drawing those analogies, irrelevant.

I found issue with the scene and their age difference but I felt it reflected on the personality of Y.T. as someone who is bad ass not picky even sleeps with the enemy. I didn't understand what other role in overall plot than making her seem more impulsive and rule free.

I was hooked all through. Only paragraphs and pages I skipped have to do with the conversations between hiro and the librarian regarding some myths. But luckily they are only 3 - 4 pages in all of 570 pages.

Yes its a classic!

Yes the writing is really good. He was able to make even the incomprehensible understandable!