So I really want my dad to read S. and I was trying to explain it to him and in doing so I realized that I don't think there's a way to explain the book without sounding super confusing. That would be like someone trying to explain Lost to someone who hasn't started watching it yet: they'd be so lost. In actuality, the novel was fairly easy to read once you got used to it a little bit and found a reading strategy that suited you. I remember some of our first reactions to the novel roaming around the lines of how well crafted it was, how visually appealing, and how they organized it fairly well considering how complex everything is. I have to say I still agree, and going back over the parts to get more info for the Wiki, I was able to grasp things even more easily than the first time.
Though my dad seemed apprehensive at first, I told him that we created an entire Wiki to help explain things if he got lost, but I told him that if he read parts of it, then it would give away plot points and spoil some surprises. He liked Lost a lot and he enjoys sci-fi adventure novels and weird things, so I think he will enjoy the book, the only problem is I don't want to lose any of the inserts, they play a pretty significant role in the book, and they help clarify a lot of things. I wonder if you can buy them somewhere without having to repurchase the whole thing....