“This book left me wondering about my own life, as I'm sure was part of the intention -- or is this every story's intention? Yes, that. By the middle of the book I was fully captivated by Mountstuart's life, but the first half I basically thought he was a self-involved, self-indulgent asshole. And a cad. There it is: a human heart not of my own cells, but nonetheless part of the human race. The other things that bothered me with the story was Mountstuart's easy way in life (for a long stretch) and that he seemed to meet just about every famous person within the writing and art world. And being palsy with an ex-king. A bit too trite for me. But getting over this second "bother" was easy enough, for the best reason that "I like historical, fictive moments with famous people." ”
Mark Beyer wrote this review Tuesday, January 8, 2013.
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