A Civil Campaign

This novel is like a piece of music. It starts slowly and gently, not initially seeming of much interest, but gradually weaves itself into an intricate web of different themes, emotions, and instruments, leading up to a triumphal climax of the full orchestra.Although it falls into the broad category of science fiction, that label describes only the background details. It's mainly a complicated love story mixed with political intrigue, which is not the kind of book I normally read, but I'm flexible enough to accommodate it.It's a mostly serious novel, but the author has a sense of humour that emerges perhaps more often in this book than in others, reminding me slightly of P. G. Wodehouse. Aristocrats and aunts are involved. The hero, Miles Vorkosigan, even has a reliable servant vaguely akin to Jeeves.Miles is generally a more capable man than Bertie Wooster. However, this novel is in part the story of his attempt to court and marry a woman recently widowed (see [b:Komarr 61884 Komarr (Vorkosigan Saga, #11) Lois McMaster Bujold https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1322572043l/61884.SY75.jpg 1129294]) who has no intention of remarrying. He lacks experience at this kind of thing, and his inept behaviour may amuse some readers, but I find it embarrassing; it's the only element of the story that I don't enjoy. Fortunately, he's capable of learning from his mistakes, and handles himself better in the second half.Gregor Vorbarra, the Emperor of Barrayar, makes a pleasantly reassuring figure because he seems to be the perfect emperor, rather like the modern Plantagenets in the world of [b:Lord Darcy 880461 Lord Darcy (Lord Darcy, #1-3) Randall Garrett https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388708394l/880461.SY75.jpg 3103213]. It would be great to have an emperor like that. What a pity they seem to exist only in fiction.This would be an excellent place at which to end the Vorkosigan saga, on the general principle of ending on a high note. However, in fact it's followed by four more novels and two novellas.