...Now that I think about it, I think the novel as such lacked spark... I don't know, it's the first time that a novel by this author leaves me with a feeling of boredom...

When there are such shortcomings, the book loses its joy, yes, it really does. You have analyzed it in a very detailed and enjoyable way. You talked about the book well. Congratulations. The dual writing style also looks very nice and I should try it sometime.