Speaking of post-apocalyptic stories…
Did anyone else expect a big "Matrix" style reveal in Riddley Walker? Riddley is being guided by something. At one point he envisions a radar screen that helps him decide where to go. Eusa's head is a computer, and Riddley says "Eusa's head is dreaming us."

Post-apocalyptic literature and themes
Holy crap, you guys. You are all way ahead of me on this book. Well here's a couple of cents from my quarter:

Sorry, it's arga warga for you.

Wonderful points, MikeStrange. I like the idea of Marduk's followers growing as Michael himself becomes more and more like Marduk. Everyone is asking "What would a wrestler based on an ancient Babylonian god do?"

Funny stuff
You've pointed out that the book hits a range of types of humor. One of my favorite kinds is the joke that's almost a throwaway, but if you go back and look at it contains some depth or winsomeness. "The Wrestler's Cruel Study" has a few of those which I enjoyed.

I appreciate the parallels between Rose and Sleeping Beauty. But I don't know if the problem is so much that Rose is bland so much as Rose is remote. We hardly know her as a character, and we might not know much more about her even if the narrator had spent more time with her.

I didn't have a problem with Claudine, except for excessive cringing. I thought it was kind of funny that Wally wrangles better and better places out of Mr. Lenguado, but that only makes his struggle more hopeless.

I love what happens right after Snowman's thugs force Zapo back into the sewer. One of them carefully drops Zapo's cart in after him. Just being helpful, I guess.

Thank you
Thanks, Leonard, for picking this book. And thanks, staff and commenters, for being thoughtful about it.

MikeStrange, thanks for the references. I might check out that play.

Thanks guys!

Maybe you've got something there. I can see the end as a thesis/antithesis/synthesis thing. A little like the end of "Young Frankenstein", maybe?

Thanks, Farmer John. Much appreciated.

MikeStrange, that's an interesting idea — that Marduk's fans are aspects of Marduk. I hope you talk about it more.

Myths and Legends and Thongs, Oh My
Did anyone else think it was interesting that the wrestling matches involve heroes acting out myths in the service of religious disputes?

Interesting reference from Greek mythology. Do you know if there are specific myths and tales that "The Wrestler's Cruel Study" mimics structurally, without necessarily borrowing characters or plot devices?

What do you think the cult was? And how or why did it change?

I haven't read "Satanic Verses" yet. Is "Midnight's Children" the one where the narrator disintegrates at the end? I can't remember clearly — but is the narrator sort of a personification of India, and the end of the story is where India stops having a coherent narrative?

Yeek! The Queen! That's really good. And she sort of offers Michael a poison apple, or at least the chance to lose his innocence without gaining knowledge of good and evil…

Structure
What did you think of how the story jumped around between characters? For me, it was one of the ways the book undercut the traditional kidnapping/rescue story.