A review by doireann_ni_chaoimh
The Dream of the Celt by Mario Vargas Llosa

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

I only gave it one star because it made me want to read other books about Roger Casement and the time period. It didn’t make me want to read this book itself. 

It felt like the writer was too afraid to lean into the fictional element of the book, or the factual, so you just kind of get the worst of both. I never connected with Casement’s character as written and I felt the subject matter just wasn’t covered in a meaningful way at all. The whole way through, it felt like a slog so I wasn’t even bothered about getting to the end.

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