Into the Unbounded Night

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I’ve been waiting for another novel by Mitchell James Kaplan since reading the superb By Fire, By Water, so I was very happy to have the opportunity to review Into the Unbounded Night.

Set in the time of early Christianity, the time of Nero and Vespasian, the Great Fire in Rome, and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, this novel incorporates a lot of history and a lot of diverse religious thought.

There are numerous characters whose lives we follow. The readily recognizable historical figures (Paul, Stephen, Luke, Vespasian, Poppaea, Nero) have only walk-on roles but they influence the protagonists in ways large and small. And they ground the reader in the time period. The multiple protagonists are not the larger-than-life people of history but the “common” people.

First, we meet Aislin, a young Briton, who survived the massacre of her people by the Romans. Steeped in the belief system of her world, Aislin makes her way to Rome for one purpose, vengeance. Overwhelmed by what she finds there, she struggles to survive and to understand the new world. Inadvertently, she achieves some of the vengeance she sought.

Another main character is Yohanan, a Pharisee in Jerusalem, dedicated to study of Jewish tradition and to peace. He’s caught up in a time of Roman occupation and civil unrest that upend his life but the violence and personal loss cannot change his fundamental beliefs.

The reader watches these characters and others grow up and grow old. Or die. Many of the characters die, often brutally, which got to be a bit much. Over time, they all interconnect. It was interesting to see how disparate lives can intertwine and influence each other; however, it was also emotionally distancing. As a reader I felt that I was skirting over the surface of their lives rather than being drawn into them.

Kaplan writes beautifully. This is a deeply meditative novel infused with questions about life, religion, death, and sin. It’s a hard novel to read when the world seems to be falling apart yet again, but there is something hopeful in the timelessness of the struggle and the unanswerableness of the questions.

I find it quite hard to say what I thought of this book. I found it quite a slow book, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but from time to time, I was picking it up with a heavy heart, rather than eagerly; it was hard going at times. The prose was beautifully written at times, and the characters were well delineated and credible.

As the lives of the main characters became interwoven, it was interesting to imagine what was going to happen next; however, I think I agree with another reviewer who wrote “As a reader I felt that I was skirting over the surface of their lives rather than being drawn into them."

Maybe this was the problem with the book. I was never really drawn into the story; I felt like an impartial observer, instead of becoming more emotionally involved. I wasn’t eager to turn over a page to find out what happened, because I was wrapped up in the action, but rather just to continue reading what was a well written book.

Basically, while there isn’t really anything to criticise, I didn’t find there is very much to enthuse about either!

A solid 3.5 stars, rounded up because it’s better written than other books I have given only 3 stars to!

I enjoyed the perspective of this novel and found it quite different to the many other novels I’ve read set in Ancient Rome.. the main POV is of a woman Aislinn, a young Briton and follows her through a turbulent life. This was beautifully written although I have to say I’m not that fond of the author’s choice to use the present tense . I enjoyed the almost ‘magical’ feel to the book I. Places and felt it was very much in keeping with the feelings and beliefs of the time,.

A great historical fiction science fiction book. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I highly recommend reading this book.