Uttuku Challenge

In Robert N. Stephenson’s Uttuku:

Diana’s quest is to find a mysterious book and absolve herself of guilt for Steven’s suicide. Is Diana’s quest fulfilled? If so, does she accomplish it herself or is it done for her?
What is the book that Diana has been searching for? How does Samantha acquire the book, and what is Diana’s role in retrieving it?
Diana is described as suffering from severe emotional disorders. Do they seem to affect her actions in any material way? Would she act differently if she weren’t handicapped?
Why might a reader maintain that Diana’s two meetings with her psychiatrist are the most interesting scenes in the novel? Corollary: Is the psychiatrist relevant to the main action, or is the main action relevant to Diana’s therapy?
What is the difference between an Uttuku and a Ta’ibah?
Are famous personalities necessary to the function of the Uttuke or do they simply provide historical color?
How many murders occur in the story? Who are the perpetrators?
What is the function of the character “Beth”?
Is the Dark One foiled at the end, or does he seem to be enjoying a kind of practical joke?
Several offhand observations are rather humorous. Which are your favorites?
Bonus challenge: Write the story as a stage play or film script. Adhere to the classic three unities: time, place, and action. Latitude: the story is complete within 24 hours and takes place within the confines of an apartment building.