Book clubs in Bristol

I read the 'time passes' section every other week at this point

Durrell tells the same story thrice from three different perspectives before advancing the story in the final book of the quadrilogy, which makes for an interesting read in itself. What really makes the quartet however is the vividness of the characters and the atmosphere of mid-century Alexandria - it comes alive as a philosophy and culture since lost to modernity.

Scott Alexander is always great fun to read and this is no exception - like a nerdier version of Good Omens, his asides and allusions are always fun to read and spot. What sets this book apart however is the payoff at the end where he gives a real and sound answer to the theodicy problem that shadows the story - in truth his answer is a rich seam for considering philosophy, rare praise for a light webnovel.

I love this author's ability to bring different eras of history to life through the depth and complexity of her characters.

Obsessive love

I have never read anything else like it. The sense of exploration and scientific wonder - and isolation from the world - is incredibly appealing!

A great fantasy book that made you fall in love with the characters and made you fall in love with the complexity of people, but also made me hate it. Most people may say the pacing is a little slow at first, but I really enjoyed it since it took you on a journey with the characters, and as things progressed for them, so did the pace of the book.

incredibly human

Urgh. The perfect story. Strong protagonist, rags to riches, an incredibly suave mentor character… I love it so much.

I love history, and so the perspectives throughout time were interesting to me in this one. The fluidity of Woolf’s perspective transcends gender also, which I loved.