In a nutshell, it is good indeed as a leisurely reading, at bedtime, as the series description suggests. It should NOT be used as a text, in my opinion.



The most important quality of a good graduate level text is usability for a qualifying exam preparation. Thus, everything should be covered in a concise manner, appropriate for late night crumming. This book is not designed for that. And, with all due respect to Goethe, Schiller, and Heine, I could not appreciate an accidental quotation from a classic when my stay in grad school was at stake.



(for the record, I passed with flying colors, only thanks to good old references by Conway and Ahlfors, however dry but perfectly readable, especially if you have a prior experience or a helpful professor)



Another point to consider: a price can be a factor for a broke grad student, so, Ahlfors will give you more stuff for your buck, especially if you are planning on taking a second semester of this amazing topic.