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While I can understand how the book seems disjointed, I am almost surprised at how cohesive it has become (at least up to the end of the first book). Despite the fragmentary beginnings described by Carroll in the preface, in some respects I have found this story more coherent and purposeful than Alice in Wonderland (etc.), though the latter was more fun.
There is, for me, no sense that Carroll did not know what he was doing, and by the time we get to chapter 22 we have the narrator with a watch that alters time, and find him saying "I valued my own reputation for sanity too highly to venture on explaining to him what happened". This begins to put a real-world perspective over what, up to now, might otherwise be explained away as dreams or hallucinations ... and we still might, but these explanations demonstrate that Carroll is quite conscious of the effect he has created.
In chapter 23 we have the Earl give a dissertation on how to enjoy a book. We might think that Carroll is admonishing us as readers to pay attention. To put ourselves into a book and read what is there rather than skipping ahead for points of particular interest. ... But the Earl goes on to advise "that we should learn to take our pleasures quickly, and our pains slowly", which I found rather contradictory to the sentiments on reading.
The final two chapters of the first part/book (24 & 25) didn't sit all that well with me, I hope that's not a sign of things to come.
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