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A review by amw207
The Charioteer by Mary Renault
5.0
Wow this book is SO beautiful. Seriously, some of the most beautiful writing I’ve read in a while. It’s flowery enough to be lovely but not so much that it’s completely overshadowing the story. Every detail seems to matter and I love that so much.
I also love reading a queer story (from the 1950s no less!) that isn’t completely steeped in tragedy. It takes place during WW2 but I didn’t find that it even used the war itself to justify meaningless violence. Nothing was over the top. And even when characters had to face Laurie’s identity, nobody reacted with violence.
I also enjoyed the fact that romance wasn’t a central point for Laurie. It was a big part of the book but he had a life outside of that. This book has definitely convinced me to pick up more of Mary Renault’s work.
I also love reading a queer story (from the 1950s no less!) that isn’t completely steeped in tragedy. It takes place during WW2 but I didn’t find that it even used the war itself to justify meaningless violence. Nothing was over the top. And even when characters had to face Laurie’s identity, nobody reacted with violence.
I also enjoyed the fact that romance wasn’t a central point for Laurie. It was a big part of the book but he had a life outside of that. This book has definitely convinced me to pick up more of Mary Renault’s work.