Carolyn H

If you are of a philosophical bent, this book is right up your alley. It is beautifully written, cerebral and clever, a compelling retelling of the story of the Trojan War. But much like nesting Russian dolls, it is not a linear account, but rather stories within stories. The narrator arrives at his retold Trojan War story, a complement to The Iliad, by gleaning fragments from ancient Greek writings. This is layered with his own very fraught personal story. Martel experiments here with an unusual and imaginative format: as he explains in his introduction, this is a novel told in verses and footnotes. The result is fascinating.