[2] 253 is about the 253 people on a London Underground train travelling between Embankment station and Elephant & Castle on January 11, 1995.

The basic structure of the novel is explained in the foreword: There are seven carriages on a Bakerloo Line train, each with 36 seats.

In the online version, hypertext links lead to other characters who are nearby or who have some connection to the current character; in the print version, the links are partly replaced by a traditional index.

[3] Charles de Lint gave the print edition a mixed review, declaring: "Is it worth reading?

"[4] NPR's Mary Glendinning reviewed the print version more favourably as "Gimmicky?