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bibliomania_express's review
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Or What You Will by Jo Walton is a fascinating novel about life, stories, death, the act of creation, and love. It's a bit metafictional, as our narrator is a spark of inspiration, or maybe something more, that loves inside the head of Sylvia Harrison. A renowned fantasy author, Sylvia is particularly attached to the world of Illyria, which she based on Renaissance Firenze in Italy. Now our narrator has a daring plan to move himself and an aged Sylvia into Illyria. To do so he must tell their stories. Alongside this, he must weave together a story in Illyria to aid their escape.
I wasn't sure about this book at first. For all it's intriguing premise, it starts rather slow. But once the story shifted to the first parts in Illyria, I was hooked. I enjoyed the fantastical Illyrian sections, where characters live forever but do not progress unless they choose to, and where characters like Miranda from the Tempest and the major players from Twelfth Night mingle with real people from Italian history.
Once that got going, I was also more interested in Sylvia's story. I love that Walton shapes the narrative to show us who Sylvia is, what her life was like, and yet also challenges cycles of abuse and explores different types of love. It's really a meditation on life, legacy, and the power of stories.
I wasn't sure about this book at first. For all it's intriguing premise, it starts rather slow. But once the story shifted to the first parts in Illyria, I was hooked. I enjoyed the fantastical Illyrian sections, where characters live forever but do not progress unless they choose to, and where characters like Miranda from the Tempest and the major players from Twelfth Night mingle with real people from Italian history.
Once that got going, I was also more interested in Sylvia's story. I love that Walton shapes the narrative to show us who Sylvia is, what her life was like, and yet also challenges cycles of abuse and explores different types of love. It's really a meditation on life, legacy, and the power of stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Violence, Racism, Death, and Terminal illness
jwells's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
Very strange book. I kept wondering, how in the world did Jo Walton get away with this? LOL
Not so much the protagonist who is an author's imaginary friend, or the other characters who are swiped from Shakespeare. (Shakespeare wouldn't have minded; he stole characters - not to mention plots - all the time.) It's more that I can't believe she got away with the big nonfiction digressions into the history of Florence/Firenze. You're not supposed to be able to do that, as a novelist, just drop in chunks of moderately-relevant exposition, on the grounds that they're interesting.
You better believe I read all of it though, and craved a gelato and a performance of Twelfth Night afterward.
I admire Walton so much, the way she writes something different every time, and it's always something intriguing.
Not so much the protagonist who is an author's imaginary friend, or the other characters who are swiped from Shakespeare. (Shakespeare wouldn't have minded; he stole characters - not to mention plots - all the time.) It's more that I can't believe she got away with the big nonfiction digressions into the history of Florence/Firenze. You're not supposed to be able to do that, as a novelist, just drop in chunks of moderately-relevant exposition, on the grounds that they're interesting.
You better believe I read all of it though, and craved a gelato and a performance of Twelfth Night afterward.
I admire Walton so much, the way she writes something different every time, and it's always something intriguing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
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