I actually found this to be an improvement on Fugitive Pieces. The love story provides a stronger structure on which to hang the exploration of themes of loss, guilt and memory, and the characters' respective professional expertises mean that the text is scattered with fascinating facts and anecdotes on a baewildering variety of topics. That could sound dry and irrelevant but it isn't, because the imagery evoked mirrors the characters' state of mind and underscore the key themes.
I admit I found the Polish jazz musician who features in the final third of the book to be a bit of a self-important bore, but that's a minor flaw.