Welp. Now I’m out of GGK to read. At least for now.

GGK’s latest, out in a couple of weeks, is Written on the Dark and it is fantastic in all the ways GGK novels can be and are. For the first time in quite awhile, we leave his “not quite Italy” (Batiara) and focus for the first time on the nation of Ferrieres (not-quite France) and the people inhabiting its capital city, Orane (not-quite Paris). The backdrop is GGK’s version of the 100 Years War between Ferrieres and Angland (not-quite England). The timeline is a jumble of versions of real-world events. The murder of one of the mad-king’s brothers mirrors the real life murder of Philip, Duke d’Orleans in 1404. There is an invasion by a not-quite Henry V of England. There is a not-quite Joan of Arc.

We move backwards in the timeline of his universe – Sarantium is still around. Indeed, while there are a few references here and there, this is the first really self-contained GGK novel in quite awhile – in some deliberate ways, the first since The Last Light of the Sun, our only other peak at Angland. That’s except for the epilogue, which links everything together to the whole.

And there is poetry. Beautiful poetry. I had never heard of the inspiration for the main character of Written on the Dark (Thierry Villar), the French medieval poet, Francois Villon. That’s no great shock (I’m shockingly weak on medieval French history – I don’t tend to pick up the French history stuff that predates the Reformation). And now I want to seek him out, because there is so much fascinating culture at work here. Orane and Ferrieres have been rather opaque throughout GGK’s “Jaddite novels,” but here we get them beautifully and vividly presented.

Written on the Dark has all the hallmarks of a standard GGK novel. Just a twinge of the fantastic (this one might have had more than the prior three novels combined). A fun main character. Side characters who are brought to amazing detail even if their time on the page is limited. Gorgeous amazing poetic prose that is unmatched in fantasy writing. A plot that isn’t as important as the characters in the plot – even if the events are “big events,” it is about the people. A love for the common people who live outside the story until they briefly appear…only to leave again.

There is a part of me that wonders if this was intended as a final novel. There is a lot here about art and being remembered. Perhaps GGK is simply at the age where that sort of thing weighs on the mind.

There are so many fantastic characters to mention here (Medor Colle was a personal favorite of mine), but I want to close this review talking about one character in particular. The story of Jeanette of Broche, the Maiden (his version of Joan) features another classic GGK side character. Lysbet Guerin.

She appears only briefly – she drifts in and out of the story in classic GGK fashion. Is mentioned only at one small point. But my goodness. Her story. My gods her story. As GGK puts it:

Brave beyond any words one might ever offer.

JFC is that true. I wept at her story.

This is a fantastic book. And now I’m sad because I don’t have any GGK to read new until he writes something else. So get on that, sir!

5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley/Ace/Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this wonderful novel. All opinions are my own and are uncompensated. Written on the Dark is out on May 27 and you can preorder it here. Do it. Do it now.

Thierry Villar is an infamous tavern poet. A charming rogue who loves his city as much as another man might love a woman, he finds himself caught up in the schemes of the more powerful. Assassins and armies, aristocrats and royalty, and poor Thierry stuck in the middle. But he’ll do anything to save his beloved Orane.

Written on the Dark starts out a bit slowly; it’s a slower paced read and it took me a bit to get into the groove, but my god, was it beautiful. I know that “lyrical” is a word that gets thrown around to describe beautiful prose, but this story truly flowed in a way that defies my description. It was stunningly, beautifully written.

The story centers around Thierry but he’s not the only POV character, and we get several interludes with others. Some smaller, some larger, and we get peeks into side events that add a greater depth to the story. You really feel like each character has their own epic story that we only get a tiny glimpse into, just like life, before the current of the story pushes us back to the central conflict.

This was melancholy and poetic and full of soul. Fans of Guy Gavriel Kay will certainly love this, and I think anyone who appreciates beautifully crafted stories will enjoy it.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my opinions.

First of all, thank you so so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful book.

When I start a new Guy Gavriel Kay novel, I go in with exceptionally high expectations based on everything I have read from this author in the past. Written on the Dark was absolutely no exception to my long-standing rule in this regard. As always, this tale and Guy’s prose work hand-in-hand to create something beautiful and heartrending that pulls you into a world of wonder, awe and excitement.

In Written on the Dark, we follow the adventures of Thierry Villar. A tavern poet with a talent for verse that while loved by the audience, is not always so well received by the subjects of his poems. This all gets interrupted one night as Thierry is headed out into the night under the cloak of darkness. But his plans become a bit derailed. This is when Thierry finds himself caught in a far-reaching web of political intrigue and deception. Into a world far beyond anything he thought was headed his way. However, we quickly learn that in addition to Thierry’s sharp wit, there is more to the inner workings of his brain that will be put to the test along the way.

Kay introduces us to an incredible cast of characters, both allies and enemies alike, each with their own strengths and weaknesses that create a multi-leveled series of connections all combining in perfect unison. Through these characters the reader experiences pain, fear, hope and family, both blood and found.

The city of Orane and the surrounding world are described and utilized in a way that keeps the story moving (literally) and helps the reader to gather a greater understanding of the world in which these characters interact and the undercurrents that control its inner workings.

A story of danger, intrigue, friendship and love, Written on the Dark encapsulates so much of what it is to be human and the joy that we can bring to those around us through perseverance, cunning and understanding. It also reminds us to not underestimate ourselves, that it is important to remember that wondrous actions and knowledge can come from the most unexpected places, sometimes even within yourself.

Thierry Villar is a notorious tavern poet who may have written his last too-clever poem one bitterly cold night in his beloved city of Orane, for he makes one wrong move on the streets and ends up in the midst of a political battle waged by those at the highest levels of power. Shadowed by assassins and hated by the people in control of the kingdom, Thierry finds an ally in the form of another poet- a woman from a faraway land celebrated for her intellect and beauty, as well as a girl who claims to hear voices that tell her how to help their ailing country. Together, they must all find a way to save themselves and their kingdom.

Whenever a new book by Guy Gavriel Kay is announced, the fantasy book community sits up and pays attention. He is renowned for his richly detailed worlds and elegant prose. Combine that with complex characters who feel like they could step off the page and introduce themselves, and you have a mix that should be a hit every time.

Sadly, Written on the Dark was a miss for me. In his acknowledgments, Kay mentions that he read and was inspired by Bart van Loo's book The Burgundians, which is a detailed and entertaining account of the rise and fall of Burgundy, which had a major influence on French and English history during the middle ages. Having read that book myself, I can agree with Kay in that The Burgundians is a fascinating work, but I wonder if in this case, the inspiration was too strong. Written on the Dark tells a story of fantasy France, where fantasy Charles VI is the nominal king. The realm is menaced by the fantasy English who are ruled by fantasy Henry V. Along the way, we encounter fantasy Joan of Arc and deal with aspects of the fantasy Catholic church. Save for some fantastical elements and a few diversions from actual historical events, if the reader knows anything about French history from the first two decades of the 1400s, they will have a good idea of what's going to happen next in the story.

Though Kay is inspired by history, he doesn't like his books to be called 'historical fantasy'. I would agree with that, as Orane isn't quite "Paris, with magic", but there is a point around the 60% mark where I might describe the story's genre as "fantasy history textbook" thanks to a seemingly endless description of what's going on in the kingdom. That was not a joy to read, though the long, dry explanations of fantasy history do eventually end, and the characters are allowed to speak again.

All of this might have been forgivable had the main character, Thierry Villar, actually been interesting. One would assume that a poet known for insulting nobility and getting away with it would be a fascinating character. Alas that Thierry Villar is just Some Guy with a penchant for referring to himself by his full name, and who is nowhere as clever as he thinks he is. What's going on around him might be interesting, but I had a hard time caring, since I was so uninterested in the main character, and often wondered why several of the side characters were there at all, since they added to nothing except the page count. Had Thierry been a more interesting character, I wouldn't have been so bothered by the many predictable plot points.

I'd been looking forward to Written on the Dark, as I've enjoyed Kay's work before, but Written on the Dark was a major disappointment.


—


Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

Really good book, slightly below average Guy Gavriel Kay book. For me this is in the same tier as Children of Earth and Sky, Last Light of the Sun, River of Stars, and All The Sea's of the World. I think the first 8 chapters, are good at basically everything, but lack any stand out moments. At no point in that first 40 something percent did I read something, stop and go "holy crap" which is a pretty normal occurrence in my favorite Kay books(probably about once per page in Lord of Emperors). However that was still it only being relatively weak, and stuff really picked up on ch9, and my emotional investment, and quantity of poignant moments pretty suddenly went up, and stayed that way for the back half of the novel.
(except the random interlude chapter) (Yes I know that interlude chapter ends up being important for a character interaction later working, and it was awesome, it still was less interesting to read than all the surrounding chapters)

This book starts really focused, with a lot of pages dedicated to following a small cast of characters across the span of one day, as the book goes on, the focus zooms out and I think as the cast expands, it also feels like our main character(Thierry's) friend group expands, and by the end I was extremely invested in our main cast. As a result as the book went on there was also a steady trend up in how good I thought it was. This book is probably more history bendy than most Guy Gavriel Kay books, and it does it really brilliantly. He does the thing where he gives us a change in history that we may intuitively want, but not as wish fulfillment, but then to focus on the secondary effects of that change.

Her name was Lyset Guerin, from the hamlet of Cassaude near the Livraise.
Brave beyond any words one might ever offer.


Will stick with me for a long time.

The end was one that had me on the edge of my seat. One advantage of Kay being very willing to do tragic endings, and having characters whose well being I was pretty invested in, is I got the experience of being truly uncertain which characters I cared for would live, which often doesn't happen. As I am either less emotionally invested, or I can be pretty sure based on the author/context clues from the book which characters are safe. But this had my heart pounding.

In terms of writing style, I think the average phrase length in this was shorter than most other Kay books. Almost felt slightly Glen Cookian(to a much smaller degree than Glen Cook). Kay of course does it quite well, although I think late in his career he has had a slight habit of having too many characters voices, and dialogue, sound slightly too similar to the narrator, and generally his narrator voice is pretty distinct, so it is kind of weird if most people talk like Guy Gavriel Kay narrates. And I noticed it a few times, especially early in this novel. This is the type of thing I am probably more likely too notice with authors I know really well. If this was one of the first Kay books I had read, I don't know if I would notice it. But I think it may have still bothered me a little.


Finally, I will end by saying that this is a true stand alone, and unlike All The Sea's of the World, could be read first without spoiling any other Kay book, and also is not reliant on other Kay books for emotional payoff, with one notable exception, and that is the epilogue. If this is your first Kay book, I think you should just stop at the end of the last chapter, and then go read the epilogue after you have read The Sarantine Mosaic, and A Brightness Long Ago(It's funny how frequently those are the Kay books that connect to others, maybe he subconsciously knows they are the best one, and is pressuring people to read them)(also holy crap the epilogue got me, was it reliant on nostalgia, and would it not work if previous Kay books weren't insanely awesome, sure. But it still worked, and hit me hard.)


Overall, damn good book. But when you hit tons of home runs, the bar for new hits to stand out is very high.

8.9/10

"Both sweeping and intimate, a majestic novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France.

Thierry Villar is a well-known - even notorious - tavern poet, familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power. He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be caught up in the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies.

But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane. And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as political struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.

As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king - and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.

A new masterwork from the internationally bestselling author of All the Seas of the World, A Brightness Long Ago, and Tigana, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind."

This one's for my friend Sara's mom who loves Guy Gavriel Kay!

Guy Gavriel Kay's "Written On The Dark" defies fantasy's usual boundaries, creating a world where tavern warmth and political intrigue share the same page with equal brilliance. The novel weaves a tapestry where character connections feel as comforting as a fireside chat, yet the historical setting thrums with tension reminiscent of Europe's darkest medieval conflicts—a contradiction that somehow works perfectly.

At the center stands Thierry Villar, a tavern poet whose weapon of choice isn't a sword but his quick wit. Kay crafts a hero whose verbal dexterity and sharp intelligence prove more valuable than brute strength in a landscape where words can topple kingdoms. What makes Thierry truly compelling is how his relationships—from old drinking companions to newfound aristocratic allies—form the scaffolding that supports him through increasingly dangerous encounters.

The narrative's structure might initially surprise readers accustomed to more straightforward storytelling. Kay employs multiple viewpoints with a partly omniscient narrator that occasionally steps back to comment on events with almost philosophical detachment. This approach transforms what could be merely entertaining into something richly textured, allowing us to see both the intimate details of characters' lives and the sweeping historical forces that shape them.

The world of Orane feels hauntingly familiar—you'll recognize echoes of historical events and places—while supernatural elements shimmer just beneath the surface, creating a reality both grounded and magical. The cold night that launches Thierry's adventure feels so bitterly real you'll want to pull your reading blanket tighter.

For those seeking fantasy that prioritizes human connection amid political machinations, "Written On The Dark" offers a rare refuge—a world complex enough to get genuinely lost in, yet intimate enough to feel like coming home.

Thank you to Ace Books Pub and NetGalley, for the free copy for review.

Guy Gavriel Kay delivers another beautifully written story of an ordinary man who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. Thierry is a tavern poet of some modest renown who is drawn into a world of politics and intrigue. Kay has such a particular style of alluding to and hinting at things that you always need to pay close attention to his words but that is no hardship given his carefully crafted descriptive prose. Drawing inspiration from real historical events, his reimagining of medieval France draws the reader in with longtime readers looking for tie-ins to Kay’s earlier works. And he does not disappoint.

First off, I love anything by Kay - my favourite author of all times.

I loved returning to the setting of Kay’s alternative Europe, this time Ferrieres. I loved seeing his version of Joan of Arc - the first time I’ve been able to recognize a character rather than just a place.

I very much valued the LGBTQ angle of this book. Characters ranged from straight to gay to bisexual to gender diverse and intersex, and done without making a big deal of it. People are simply people and live their lives much like anyone else.

I did find the overall plot here to be a bit less…intense? than some of Kay’s other works. It moved a bit slowly and the stakes felt less high for the central characters.

Overall, highly recommend. Then go back and read the Lions of Al-Rassan, the Sarantine duo, and all the other books that bring this rich world to life.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

My immediate thought after reading this was: “this is a book where you’ll find something new on every reread.”

Written on the Dark is a historical fantasy that follows a poet who gets caught up in the politics of his city when a heinous murder occurs.

I definitely started this book thinking, it’s too short for too many characters! And there were definitely times where I got a little lost, the narrative really jumps around a lot. But by the end? I was SO invested in these characters and their stories. Somehow after 300 pages I felt like I knew these people thoroughly.

Truly remarkable how Guy Gavriel Kay’s writing and prose is so nuanced. This was my first GGK but won’t be my last!

Sometimes we retain the quiet moments that come in the midst of chaos, or after it. The city, my city, in the night. Our lives, written in the dark.

4.25 stars!

I am always left with a particular feeling when I finish a Guy Gavriel Kay book. Bittersweet yet hopeful, and incredibly moved by the story I just read. Written on the Dark is no exception. When I began reading, I was instantly engaged and continued to be engaged throughout the book. I am always sucked into Kay’s books, making for an easy and enjoyable reading experience. He just knows how to tell a story.

While this isn’t my favorite book of his, it is still quintessentially Guy Gavriel Kay. You can expect to get everything he’s known for. Beautiful prose, quick wit and surprising moments of humor, an immersive world, and likable characters who find themselves caught up in a formative part of history.

All of GGK’s book are written as a “near-history” with a quarter-turn to the fantastic, and this book takes place in a world reminiscent of medieval France, following events surrounding the Hundred Years War. Like Kay’s other works, he takes this time period of historical significance and twists it to tell the story he wants to tell. If you’re looking for pure historical fiction that faithfully follows the events of this era, you won’t find it here. It’s clearly based on that time, but Kay has the freedom to move and change things as he sees fit since this is technically a fictional world.

When it comes to the main POV of the story, this time around our focus falls on Thierry Villar, a tavern poet who stumbles into events that have far-reaching consequences for his world. I liked having this story centered on someone who would normally be nothing more than a footnote in the grand scheme of things. It’s easy to focus on the big players in a story like this, but it’s more interesting to tell it this way, through the eyes of someone who just happened to be there. There are a handful of other POVs, some with only a few paragraphs or pages. Yet even so, they still make an impression and further prove the effect anyone can have on history.

One of the things I love most about Kay’s writing is how he is able to say so much without saying anything at all. He has such a talent for giving information to the reader in a purposeful way, and it is clear that he trusts his readers to pick up on the subtext and understand what he’s saying. This book in particular showcased that talent, and I for one appreciate an author who doesn’t feel the need to spell out every single thing. It implies a mutual respect and trust between author and reader, and few writers today can manage that to the extent that Kay does. He is truly a master wordsmith, knowing exactly how to craft a sentence or paragraph to deliver maximum impact.

As usual, I ended the book with tears in my eyes. I always seem to make it through a Kay book almost to the end and think it won’t get me, yet it does every single time. I will be fine and then from one sentence to the next, I’m crying. I don’t know how he does it. Again, it’s just the way he’s expertly able to deliver a line.

This book also featured lots of Easter eggs from his previous books, so that was fun. It makes me want to go back and reread everything. That being said, it’s not necessary to have read all of those books to enjoy this one. While it’s not where I would recommend someone to start with GGK (that would be Tigana, The Lions of Al-Rassan, or A Song for Arbonne, it won’t hurt to do so. It’s a self-contained story that requires no previous knowledge of his world or his other works.

So overall, I will say that while I don’t think this is his strongest work, it is still very good. And anything that is “very good” from GGK is better than most books.

Thank you so much to Berkley for the free book!

Just another great GGK book here, even if it doesn't unseat my top 3 by him. A solid plot, tight pacing, and interesting, deep characters makes for a satisfying read. Evidently set during the Hundred Years' War, and loosely follows the life of a French poet, Francois Villon.

Thierry Villar, vaguely notable tavern poet and a self-proclaimed nobody to the realm, is tasked with stepping up and being a somebody following the murder of the King's brother. Investigating places the law can't reach, asking questions of people that they can't ask, and basically being an informant involved in a realm-shaking murder. What follows is Villar's progress from being a nobody to gaining friends in powerful circles, amidst the backdrop of a potential civil war.

What I love about this book (and GGK's books in general, but it's very evident in this book) is how he can take a minor character, even in their own story, and turn them into something living, breathing, and remarkable. The story's main character is Villar of course, but there's a slew of other POVs that each get their own backstory and contribute to the larger tale. There's also several minor characters that, while not given their own voice in the story, are sent on their literary way with a few lines from GGK about how events affected their life and how they end up. There's a couple Easter eggs here for people who read his other books.

Just a satisfying story to read. While a bit more straightfoward in the telling than some of his other books, I was still really glad to have read this, and was in love with the story/characters throughout.

Another of Guy Gavriel Kay’s beautifully written historical fantasies, this one set in a time and place reminiscent of medieval France. Tavern poet Thierry is used to the life he’s made for himself: lots of verses declaimed in the taverns, plenty of wine, some risky womanizing, and a little larceny. But one bitter winter night a shocking assassination unsettles the world around him and confronts Thierry with challenges he never expected. Ambitious plots unfold, war threatens, and Thierry must try to untangle right from wrong. What should he stand for? Who does he really want to be? Gorgeous writing and fascinating characters create a world you will not want to leave.

I would reread Kay's work over and over. This new book feels like I have...For fans of his Sarantium world, this is another new saga.
When Kay is at his best he's brilliant creating new worlds and populating them with complex characters. That said, this story was too short, could have been half a book, is there a sequel that fills out the rest? I don't think so, since his characters are kind of disposed of in the epilogue. Kay also uses "wisdom" paragraphs, that don't really have anything to do with the story, but more the ruminations of a character's mind. I did like the characters, just something was missing here for me.

I didn't feel like WRITTEN ON THE DARK did anything Kay hasn't done in a lot of his other books, but it's his sixteenth book and if you've read all of them as I have you already know if you like his stuff, and if you do, then this is more of the kind of thing you like. If you're not familiar with his work, my advice would be to either start with some of his earlier and most popular titles (eg. Tigana and The Lions of Al-Rassan), and/or pick a period of history you're into and read his take on that setting. Personally I like medieval France so I really enjoyed this one, although of course it then inspired me to reread IN A DARK WOOD WANDERING and A SONG FOR ARBONNE, both of which I felt more strongly about--but I've also been a GGK fan since high school and as far as I'm concerned even his worst book is better than many other authors' best books, so I'm pretty sure I'm always going to enjoy reading whatever he publishes anyway, and that was very much my experience here.

Kay's writing hits on a deeper level than most. Fully immersed in his world while following characters you wish you knew in real life.

This one follows a tavern poet who considers himself "inconsequential" who becomes something much more. We also see Kay's version of Joan of Arc, Charles VI, and others from history mixed within Kay's delightful fantasy world. Kay's incredible characterization make this one another classic and one of my favorites. I'll be recommending this gem to everyone.

Having adored The Sarantine Mosaic, I’ve long sought another Guy Gavriel Kay novel that reaches the same dazzling heights. While his books are never disappointing, few have quite matched that brilliance—until now. Written in the Dark follows Thierry Villar, a humble tavern poet who unexpectedly finds himself the key to his country’s survival. The superb characterization and spot-on pacing make for a truly immersive read. This novel may just stand alongside The Sarantine Mosaic as one of Kay’s best. I liked it a lot!

It’s such a treat to get lost in Kay’s worlds, experiencing his unique spin on history with a splash of the fantastical. While this tale doesn’t break new ground or reinvent the genre, it’s an engaging and satisfying story that longtime fans of GGK and newcomers alike will certainly enjoy. The narrative isn’t as complex as some of his other works, featuring more accessible prose and POVs that stay close to the main action.

Though somewhat muted in its telling, there’s a glimmer of Kay’s storytelling spark shining through the fog – guiding us toward the light. His main character, Thierry Villar, who self-identifies as “inconsequential” to the world at large, is given his moment to shine as Kay builds his legend before our eyes.

I’ve always loved how Kay grants even the most minor characters narrative arcs – sometimes in just a sentence or a paragraph, or, in this case, an entire book. Here, a tavern poet of medium renown makes his own indelible mark on the world. Someone who might have been a footnote in another story instead steals the spotlight.

Kay's work seems to be dwelling more and more upon legacy these days. His themes also commonly include "small" people swept up in large events, the importance of art, and how power works upon ethics.

Thierry, one of the main characters in this book, is a poet who's made a name for himself in the taverns. He is a hedonist who lives for today and tries not to think too hard about tomorrow. He drifts from place to place and bed to bed. However, he ends up being in the right place at the wrong time and is drawn into a power struggle between powerful nobles. The person who draws him in is a lawman who also realizes that he and Thierry both are not nearly as powerful as those whose crimes he has committed to investigate.

Thierry's gift for words and his boldness end up being assets for the investigation, if not for Thierry's prospects for living to a ripe old age. Death can happen suddenly and brutally, but Kay assures that the reader knows that death always matters.

Kay likes to write about a world just sideways from our own and if you know your history a lot of his characters are recognizable. In this book he writes variations on Joan of Arc and Christine de Pizan, among others.

I wouldn't say that this is the best of Kay's books. I couldn't thoroughly attach to Thierry, who thought a lot of himself as clever man and as a poet. But the melancholy, nostalgic tone of the book felt deep and true. If you like reading Kay you'll like this one.

Written on the Dark is a mesmerizing blend of sci-fi and fantasy that left me in awe of Guy Gavriel Kay’s ability to craft something both profoundly human and breathtakingly vast. I love how seamlessly Kay marries the grounded, gritty reality of medieval struggles with speculative elements. And, the prose is nothing short of poetic, painting vivid scenes that feel alive while delving into the souls of his characters. This is a story about ambition and power, yes, but also about the beauty of creation and the fragility of human connections. It’s a book that lingers in your mind, not because of its plot twists, but because of its emotional resonance.