A review by documentno_is
On Swift Horses by Shannon Pufahl

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This one has been sitting with me, if only because I'm confused why I don't like it more, and I've essentially decided there were stylistic choices the author made that comprised the aesthetic of this work that ultimately took away from the experience of the actual story. By speaking only in coded language throughout the novel the author also keeps us at a distance from the actual romantic nature of many of the scenes and encounters, and the experience of reading it is as if on the other side of glass. Sometimes this is effective, both at conveying the type of environment the characters were in but also at creating suspense and intrigue. The mood of this novel is impeccable, the settings and the rooms you find the characters in are so meticulously set. Still, I felt disconnected from it somehow; Henry and Julius' story slightly less so, with so much assumed it is hard to be invested in the outcome

and then ending in uncertainty further confused me.

The pace of the novel is incredibly slow, sometimes this works well with both the setting and the longing and other times it feels frustrating, how many more rooms must I sit in and watch these characters play cards? Muriel's story felt like more of a twist ending, the author not giving nearly as many clues to her motivations throughout which can somewhat be explained by her process of discovery but again just felt void of anything for much of it. I think this novel was very beautifully written but left me wanting, more resolution, absolution, and interiority.