Review by anitaxlit - The Charioteer

anitaxlit 's review for:

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

5.0

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Where do I even start? The Charioteer is delicate, emotional, nuanced and insightful. Each exchange between characters is charged with hidden meanings and sexual/romantic tension, and I feel like I've read the book twice already with how much I had to go back to read a conversation a second, third or even fourth time.

I identified so much with Laurie throughout the story. I particularly enjoyed his views on the gay community in the 40s, many of which I found applicable to the lgbt community today.

With him, I slowly fell in love with Andrew and his innocence, the purity of his affection. And still, I couldn't write off Ralph, who feels inevitable from the start.

I don't want to let go of these characters. I suspect I'll carry them with me for a long time.

Content Warnings