What a great book. Really, really enjoyed it. If you are at all a fan of sci-fi and haven't read this, you should put this near the top of your "to read" list. A great story in its own right, each one of the pilligrim's stories could be its own stand alone novella, and the book is filled with allusions to other sci-fi "classics" (Dune, Neuromancer, 1984, maybe even Speaker For the Dead but thats a stretch).
Never before has a book made me laugh at loud like this one, but there were also parts that had me tearing up. This books has such a wide range of writing styles and emotion that someone with more (or any) literary schooling should be talking about it, not some poor schmuck like me.
This book has certainly made it onto my list of best books I've ever read.