A review by mariocomputer
The Charioteer by Mary Renault

5.0

Wow! This book blew me away. Renault is a brilliant writer, in descriptions and turns of phrase, in depth of characters, in the complexity of emotions, and in the gay experience. I love reading about gay history, but I would have loved this novel even if that wasn't the subject matter, because it had me riveted. I love that she leaves so much unsaid, for the reader to infer. It's much more naturalistic than most things I read. And there is a lot of symbolism beneath the surface, too. For example, Laurie's injury runs analogous to his queerness: he is constantly trying to hide it, to pass as 'normal', but he is forever marked by it, and unsure of his future as a result.

Time to lend this book to everyone I know!

(I also realized while reading this that romances are all about the suspense. I tear my way through them, full of tension, the same way I would something like Gone Girl. And this one keeps the tension up SO MUCH.)