I'm not quite sure why so many people seem to dislike this book, going by the reviews I've seen here. Perhaps it was mis-marketed as some people seem to have expected it to be a gothic horror story. Perhaps people have very short attention spans or expected something with a little more action in it.
I picked it up second hand with no preconceptions and enjoyed it for the most part. There are moments where I feel the decrepitude of the surroundings might be laid on a little thick. And I'm not sure I liked the ending - although it's correct for the story and it made me think back and reconsider my interpretation of earlier scenes, it was a little bit quick. It made me think a little of Julian Barnes' Sense Of An Ending actually.