Average; bascially I share your assessment of it, I was actually recommended it from an occult angle and in that aspect it wasn't actually overwhelming, either; I btw saw it heavily recommended all over various subs here; maybe my fav scene/s was the one in that the protagonist stayed over winter in utter poverty and nearly froze to death; IMO, 'even' Anne Rice's werewolf tales were so much better [I like her tales, though I understand any criticism of her, too].