Book: The Romantic and The Vile
Author: Bruce Crown
Pages: 221
Rating: 8/10
Who should read this book: anyone that likes a good mystery, existential crisis or a book with a lot of travelling.
Thank you to Bruce Crown for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The beautiful cover alone had me intrigued.
The Romantic and the Vile is about Neil, a banker who discovers a handwritten journal on the shelves of a small bookshop. A stranger is next to him and they both become intrigued by the journal. The clerk tells them that no one has been able to find the owner. So Neil and the beautiful stranger, she agrees to help him, set off on a quest to find the owner of the book. The journey takes them around Europe and to Canada. While Neil’s wife spends all his money on more house renovations and is maybe having an affair that Neil has been denying, he sets off on his own journey. While reading the journal for clues, he has some realizations about his own life
Writing 2/3: I loved Crown’s writing style. It is very eloquent and detailed. I really felt like I was exploring Europe and chasing down clues with Neil. All while Neil figures out the reality of his life. My only issue was with the transition from Neil to the journal. We read excerpts from the journal throughout and sometimes it took me a minute to realize it was the journal.
Hook 2/2: My first impression of Neil was not good, but as he transitions through the book you learn to love him and cheer for him. When he finds the book with the beautiful stranger, it has just the right amount of intrigue to keep you reading.
Plot 2/3: The plot was a really interesting story, Neil learns about his own life by reading about the life of another person. And the person writing the journal is going through something with a woman that Neil relates to his own marriage. It was a little slow in the middle but the book is quite short so it only lost my interest briefly.
Feel 2/2: I thoroughly enjoyed this read especially the hook and the writing. I also liked that the author is Canadian and that there are sections of the book in Canada which was fun to read.
Overall I really enjoyed this one and I would recommend it to most book lovers. Just a warning the writing is very sophisticated and I had to look up a few words, but it was also beautiful.
Happy Reading!
