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A review by nickartrip102
Henry Henry by Allen Bratton
4.0
”It had been some weeks since his last confession, and he had all the usual sins to cover: drinking, drugs, sexual fantasies, masturbation, lies, gossip, snobbery, a lack of charity towards the poor and vulnerable…”
I requested and received an ARC of this novel from Unnamed Press via NetGalley. Henry, Henry is dark and thoroughly entertaining. When I read the blurb for this novel I was immediately interested. A queer reimagining of the Henriad? Absolutely down for that. A petulant, little sissy Prince Hal? Fabulous. This novel hit me with a range of feelings. I was disgusted, amused, depressed, angered! So many emotions are packed into this book and while the story took a much different turn than the one I was anticipating, I found it entirely worthwhile in the end.
Henry, Henry almost gives Saltburn as done by Lana del Rey vibes. I found the novel to be a terrific character study. Our Hal may not be entirely likable, a fact he is well aware of as noble without a cause, but he is an incredibly entertaining (and rarely sober) protagonist. Buried beneath layers of biting wit and snobbery, Bratton infuses the story with ample opportunity for the reader to develop sympathy for an otherwise pitiable Hal as his history and relationships unfold.
The vivid cast of characters and the immediacy of Bratton’s writing entangle the reader within the narrative so effectively that it is difficult to put this book down without feeling invested in the well-being of (some of) our characters (poor little Henry Percy!) This novel navigates dark themes in a complex (sometimes repulsive, sometimes sensitive) manner. At times the writing is loud, clustered and confused, at other times quiet and cutting, much like the characters Bratton paints on the page. With passages that felt like gut punches, but never gratuitous, and with a unique point of view Henry, Henry engaged me in ways that I did not expect.
I requested and received an ARC of this novel from Unnamed Press via NetGalley. Henry, Henry is dark and thoroughly entertaining. When I read the blurb for this novel I was immediately interested. A queer reimagining of the Henriad? Absolutely down for that. A petulant, little sissy Prince Hal? Fabulous. This novel hit me with a range of feelings. I was disgusted, amused, depressed, angered! So many emotions are packed into this book and while the story took a much different turn than the one I was anticipating, I found it entirely worthwhile in the end.
Henry, Henry almost gives Saltburn as done by Lana del Rey vibes. I found the novel to be a terrific character study. Our Hal may not be entirely likable, a fact he is well aware of as noble without a cause, but he is an incredibly entertaining (and rarely sober) protagonist. Buried beneath layers of biting wit and snobbery, Bratton infuses the story with ample opportunity for the reader to develop sympathy for an otherwise pitiable Hal as his history and relationships unfold.
The vivid cast of characters and the immediacy of Bratton’s writing entangle the reader within the narrative so effectively that it is difficult to put this book down without feeling invested in the well-being of (some of) our characters (poor little Henry Percy!) This novel navigates dark themes in a complex (sometimes repulsive, sometimes sensitive) manner. At times the writing is loud, clustered and confused, at other times quiet and cutting, much like the characters Bratton paints on the page. With passages that felt like gut punches, but never gratuitous, and with a unique point of view Henry, Henry engaged me in ways that I did not expect.