Incredibly well written, and well thought out book. The aptly named protagonist is frustrating to follow though. May or may not be a reason to dock the rating, but there were times when reading this novel became unbearable.
Patroclus is a nerd and it's not 1:1 with the Iliad but still beautiful. The ending makes the whole thing worth it.
It's not perfect but 4 stars is inadequate. The structure of the book is really cool and you know certain things are gonna happen, but when they come, they're still enthralling. The detail and precision of the first two acts are so beautiful that it comes as a disappointment when our lovers meet. They fall into traps that supposedly they've eagerly avoided from their parents' misfortunes, and it's pretty unclear why they're so perfect for each other. While the unraveling is everything you suspected and hoped it wouldn't be, it's still a little hard to empathize with Campbell. I don't fall in love with Donovan so I'm not heartbroken when he leaves. That's the critical statement and really my only issue with the book. Besides that, just breathtaking. Be ready to cry.
Absolutely incredible novel. Roy truly has an outstanding grasp of the English language and twists it to resemble everything from a child's mind to a meandering dream. Sad and happy and beautifully written.
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