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A review by pnwbibliophile
What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In What Belongs to You, we are immersed in a harsh and unforgiving Sofia, Bulgaria where we follow the story of an American professor who falls into a complex relationship with a male sex worker. As we follow the two men, we find the professor feels forever tainted by his queerness, which stems from a tragic but eloquently written paternal castigation and disownment. The sex worker, Mitko, is tainted by poverty’s ilk and the hopelessness of his inability to escape it. They happen into a mutually beneficial yet predatory relationship which sets the narrator on a path of self-reflection. It is this reflection that sets this novel apart.
What I enjoyed most was how immersive the setting felt. Sophia felt authentic—full of beauty while decaying and languishing economically. It was as if the setting’s own misfortune paralleled Mitko’s own in a way tha felt intentional. This made me feel for the post-Communist states which are often still struggling because they were abused under communism and now under capitalism, much like Mitko. The lyrical prose, as well, put this on par with Call Me By Your Name, Giovani’s Room, and Shuggie Bain, which are some of my favorites in queer literary fiction.
Evocative prose, imagery, plot, setting, characters, and reflection are penned such that Garth Greenwell reveals he’s mastered not just one or two components but wields them all like a literary prodigy. This was a delight to read, despite being quite sad. Garth Greenwell gets added to my short list of authors that wowed me enough to become insta-reads.
What I enjoyed most was how immersive the setting felt. Sophia felt authentic—full of beauty while decaying and languishing economically. It was as if the setting’s own misfortune paralleled Mitko’s own in a way tha felt intentional. This made me feel for the post-Communist states which are often still struggling because they were abused under communism and now under capitalism, much like Mitko. The lyrical prose, as well, put this on par with Call Me By Your Name, Giovani’s Room, and Shuggie Bain, which are some of my favorites in queer literary fiction.
Evocative prose, imagery, plot, setting, characters, and reflection are penned such that Garth Greenwell reveals he’s mastered not just one or two components but wields them all like a literary prodigy. This was a delight to read, despite being quite sad. Garth Greenwell gets added to my short list of authors that wowed me enough to become insta-reads.