haha, well sometimes over-explaining a place or situation can be necessary but in this case I really feel as though the author did it so that a 200 page book could become a 600 page book. I normally shy away from books that are this long unless they are books of epic proportions such as "Gone With the Wind," which I am reading now.
Other than Lord of the Rings, this book is likely the longest I have ever taken on and so far anyway, it has been worth it!