What is the author's tone in A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers?

The tone of the book moves back and forth between the sadness of Dave's grief and the satire that colors much of Dave's writing. In the beginning, Dave reports the last few weeks of his mother's life by describing not only his relationship with her but also his impressions of the family and the house in which they live. Dave presents all of this in such a way that the reader does not know whether to cry or laugh. As the book continues, Dave's satirical look at the world bleeds through, filling the pages with conversations that happened in Dave's mind rather than in the reality.