Based on the book's description, this seemed like it might be right up my alley. On the contrary, this was the worst book I've read so far this year.

I found myself getting distracted by poorly written sentences that had little natural flow. Conversations between characters were stilted and abrupt at times. Connections were inferred without being linked.

The entirety of the novella felt as if it were underdeveloped and would have served better as a rough draft for a bigger and better novel. The premise of the book lured me in, but ultimately, the story went nowhere. I struggled to get to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2028037944

Inventive. I love anything that manages to be experimental without being pretentious. This book pulls it off. However, I found the contemporary story line to be far less compelling than the historical one, so I cannot give it 5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in advance of publication in exchange for an honest review.

Was not a fan! I felt like it was very disjointed and did not sympathize with or find the characters interesting. I don't think it's a bad premise but needs a lot of editing and serious thinking about what the author is trying to communicate.

This is an amateur story written in a very simple prose with step by step descriptions: he turned over, he did this and that, he turned back…He was a man of many talents: his role was…he was employed by…meaning he was…he was in charge…

The story starts with Henry Purcell – 17th century composer – being led into a prison, which happens repeatedly. It follows with his first encounter with Captain Cooke’s wife Evelyn. “The second time Evelyn and Henry slept together Evelyn stroked Henry’s forehead, cupped his balls, parted his hair, tickled his ribs, filled his pipe, pushed him off her, licked his ear and parted his toes with hers. In reply, Henry circled her nipples, ate some cheese, peeled an apple, played with himself, rolled over on his side, pulled up the covers, and all at once came up with the first three bars of his very first composition, Sweet Tyranness, I Now Resign.”

Once banished to another town, he meets there Cathleen and starts another affair.

This whole rubbish story is intertwined with 20th century story of a scholar who due to some events ends up writing a biography about Henry.