Lethem’s Pynchonesque fever dream bombards the reader with rapid fire wordplay, much of involving the inventive juggling of cliches. But what does it all mean? The Falstaffian protagonist is travelling through a large body a la The Fantastic Voyage. At one point, he glimpses out through the body’s eye and sees the Statue of Liberty. At another point, it’s possible the body is actually a Trojan horse. So, ummm … “This Shape We’re In” is short and sufficiently fast paced that it can be visited numerous times. Will repeated visits be worth it in terms of further understanding what this allegory is all about?