The Romantic
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- Create Date：2022-10-06 00:51:33
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：William Boyd
- ISBN：0241542022
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Reviews
Margaret
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A whole life fictional biography peppered with real characters and events 。 There are a plethora of people introduced as the bookromps along across countries and activities for the lead character
Sarah
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With a similar premise to Any Human Heart The Romantic covers the life of one man named Cashel Ross。 Born in 1799。 After a sudden shock discovery in his childhood， which prompts him to leave home suddenly， we follow his life for the next 70 odd years。A new William Boyd book is always a treat and I couldn't wait to read this new novel。 It didn't disappoint and I enjoyed it immensely。Again Boyd captures us with another of his fictional biographical characters， that as we read of their life adventu With a similar premise to Any Human Heart The Romantic covers the life of one man named Cashel Ross。 Born in 1799。 After a sudden shock discovery in his childhood， which prompts him to leave home suddenly， we follow his life for the next 70 odd years。A new William Boyd book is always a treat and I couldn't wait to read this new novel。 It didn't disappoint and I enjoyed it immensely。Again Boyd captures us with another of his fictional biographical characters， that as we read of their life adventures include true life events， really blurring the lines between real life and fiction。Wonderful characters and great adventures over different countries。 A great read for fans of this author and new readers alike。 。。。more
Kathryn
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What a joy！ A new William Boyd novel is always a treat to savour， but I was initially reluctant to dive into such a complex long novel at a busy time of year。 But of course， I'm so glad I did！ The master storyteller is at the height of his powers here and although there are many threads to follow it is not the chore it could become in the hands of a lesser writer。 All the adventures are well told and one more intriguing than the next and there is no question of not finding out how it ends。 Many What a joy！ A new William Boyd novel is always a treat to savour， but I was initially reluctant to dive into such a complex long novel at a busy time of year。 But of course， I'm so glad I did！ The master storyteller is at the height of his powers here and although there are many threads to follow it is not the chore it could become in the hands of a lesser writer。 All the adventures are well told and one more intriguing than the next and there is no question of not finding out how it ends。 Many late nights were had in that pursuit。 My book of the year 2022！Thank you， NetGalley and Penguin， for the ARC 。。。more
Jenny H
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Around the world in 80 years。 Cashel Greville Ross certainly gets around。 A revealing shock during his childhood takes him from Ireland to the battle of Waterloo in 1815。 Other adventures include joining the East India Company， meeting Lord Byron in Pisa， being sent to a debtors' prison and trying to find the source of the Nile， not to mention finding and losing the love of his life。 A rattling good read by a consummate storyteller。 Around the world in 80 years。 Cashel Greville Ross certainly gets around。 A revealing shock during his childhood takes him from Ireland to the battle of Waterloo in 1815。 Other adventures include joining the East India Company， meeting Lord Byron in Pisa， being sent to a debtors' prison and trying to find the source of the Nile， not to mention finding and losing the love of his life。 A rattling good read by a consummate storyteller。 。。。more
Jacki （Julia Flyte）
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The first William Boyd book that I read - and still my favourite - was Any Human Heart， which was the autobiography of Logan Montstuart， a fictional character whose life unfolded over - and reflected the events of - much of the 20th century。 （Later he revisited this concept with Sweet Caress）。 The Romantic has a similar premise but a different timeframe: it focuses on Cashel Ross， who is born in 1799 and lives until the 1880s。 I've been going through something of a reading slump lately and this The first William Boyd book that I read - and still my favourite - was Any Human Heart， which was the autobiography of Logan Montstuart， a fictional character whose life unfolded over - and reflected the events of - much of the 20th century。 （Later he revisited this concept with Sweet Caress）。 The Romantic has a similar premise but a different timeframe: it focuses on Cashel Ross， who is born in 1799 and lives until the 1880s。 I've been going through something of a reading slump lately and this was absolutely the book to get me out of it。 I tore through it in two days and while it's not quite as masterful as Any Human Heart， it is very， very good。Cashel's life begins in County Cork， Ireland。 He lives with his aunt who works for the local landowner。 Later when he and his aunt move to England he gradually comes to understand that his upbringing wasn't quite what he thought and this prompts him to leave home early and join the army。 From here his life is a series of non-stop adventures: he is a soldier in Waterloo and India， a farmer in the US， a smuggler in Trieste， an explorer in East Africa， a prisoner in the Marshalsea in London， a writer who befriends Byron and Shelley。 He is a man who follows his gut instinct wherever it takes him and who never gets over his first great love。 At times I thought things were going to take a different direction and if anything it highlights the way that impulsive decisions shape your life and that there are always multiple ways that things could unspool。It's terrifically entertaining。 I received an ARC from Net Galley （thank you Penguin） but this is a book that I will be buying to keep。 。。。more
jean
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I wasn't sure about this book to begin with， but found myself really warming to Cashel Ross' charms and enjoyed spending time time with him。 He was， by his own admission， a very flawed character who treated women， apart from his beloved Raphaella， badly， and like his faithful companoin Ignatz， there were times i despaired of him。 However， he made an enjoyable companion through the upheavals of the 19th century in his various guises and， as the book title suggests was， at heart a romantic。thank y I wasn't sure about this book to begin with， but found myself really warming to Cashel Ross' charms and enjoyed spending time time with him。 He was， by his own admission， a very flawed character who treated women， apart from his beloved Raphaella， badly， and like his faithful companoin Ignatz， there were times i despaired of him。 However， he made an enjoyable companion through the upheavals of the 19th century in his various guises and， as the book title suggests was， at heart a romantic。thank you to netgalley and Penguin Books for an advance copy of this book 。。。more
Christina
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There's no doubt Boyd is a master story-teller - but he distinguishes himself from others by being an excellent writer to boot。 "The Romantic" is written in a style he has employed previously， being a whole-life biography， apparently gathered from historical source material， giving him the scope to use a variety of historical backdrops， while his protagonist， Cashel Greville Ross， is pulled in many different directions， both emotionally and geographically。 The "source material" is fictional， but There's no doubt Boyd is a master story-teller - but he distinguishes himself from others by being an excellent writer to boot。 "The Romantic" is written in a style he has employed previously， being a whole-life biography， apparently gathered from historical source material， giving him the scope to use a variety of historical backdrops， while his protagonist， Cashel Greville Ross， is pulled in many different directions， both emotionally and geographically。 The "source material" is fictional， but very convincing， in similar vein to Boyd's famous 1990s hoax biography of an "underrated" pop artist。 In this story， however， we are transported through 19th century Europe， India， and the Americas， as Cashel's， adventures appear to be driven entirely by apparently random external events rather than by his own choosing。 This calls to mind previous comparisons with some of Evelyn Waugh's heroes， but in this case perhaps more like Amis' "Lucky Jim"， where despite equal shares of good and bad luck， he manages to deal with success as well as reversals of fortune， coming out， if not actually "on top"， perhaps better than he might have expected。 Although Cashel is swayed by his passions for several women - and one in particular haunts him to the end - I would not entirely describe him a romantic in that way。 He is a romantic in that he seizes on each unlikely opportunity that life offers with total commitment， where other men might take a "once bitten twice shy" approach。 The resulting exploits are indeed romantic， covering the Battle of Waterloo， sojourns in Italy with the "romantic" poets （Shelley and Byron）， a safari to find the source of the Nile， and， perhaps less romantically， an enforced period in a debtors prison in London。Here we have a wonderful story， splendidly written， and illustrating why he has been described by some as the finest storyteller of his generation。 。。。more
Tredaran
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This is as much of a story about the nineteenth century as it is about its hero。 Cashel Grenville Ross is born in Ireland in 1799 and believes himself to be an orphan， being brought up by his aunt after the tragic death of his parents。 This proves to be a lie， created to conceal the scandal of his birth and he later moves with his family to Oxford。 His life decisions take him to the battle of Waterloo and to India， as a soldier。 He later does the European “tour”， where he meets Shelley and Byron This is as much of a story about the nineteenth century as it is about its hero。 Cashel Grenville Ross is born in Ireland in 1799 and believes himself to be an orphan， being brought up by his aunt after the tragic death of his parents。 This proves to be a lie， created to conceal the scandal of his birth and he later moves with his family to Oxford。 His life decisions take him to the battle of Waterloo and to India， as a soldier。 He later does the European “tour”， where he meets Shelley and Byron。 He encounters friends， lovers， con artists and other colourful characters on his travels， living variously in France， Italy and America。 His life touches several momentous events of the nineteenth century， including the American civil war and the discovery of Lake Victoria and he embarks on numerous careers - writer， farmer， brewer and cultural attaché - during his fulfilled life。 This is a highly accomplished and compelling story which was a joy to read。With thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it。 。。。more
Jenny Indigo
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Cashel Greville Ross is raised by his aunt in Ireland after the devastating loss of his parents whilst still an infant。 She moves them to England where he continues his education。 When he travels to London he joins the army and thereby becomes involved in the battle of Waterloo。 His travels take him from India to Europe where he decides to write a travel memoir。 This book gives you a glimpse of life in the 19th century with a richness of detail that immerses you into Ross's life。 Cashel Greville Ross is raised by his aunt in Ireland after the devastating loss of his parents whilst still an infant。 She moves them to England where he continues his education。 When he travels to London he joins the army and thereby becomes involved in the battle of Waterloo。 His travels take him from India to Europe where he decides to write a travel memoir。 This book gives you a glimpse of life in the 19th century with a richness of detail that immerses you into Ross's life。 。。。more
Elite Group
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Could this win my prize for the best novel of 2022？Cashel Greville Ross was born in Scotland in December 1799。 His parents were killed in an accident shortly after his birth and he was sent to live with his aunt in Ireland。 Or so he’s led to believe by his aunt， Elspeth Soutar， the governess to Sir Guy and Lady Evangeline Stillwell’s daughters。 When Elspeth role as the governess ends as the girls have reached the age where they no longer need private tutoring， Elspeth and Cashel move to Oxford。 Could this win my prize for the best novel of 2022？Cashel Greville Ross was born in Scotland in December 1799。 His parents were killed in an accident shortly after his birth and he was sent to live with his aunt in Ireland。 Or so he’s led to believe by his aunt， Elspeth Soutar， the governess to Sir Guy and Lady Evangeline Stillwell’s daughters。 When Elspeth role as the governess ends as the girls have reached the age where they no longer need private tutoring， Elspeth and Cashel move to Oxford。 Shortly thereafter， Elspeth gives birth to twin boys， Hogan and Buckley and their lives are made even more complete when their father， Pelham Ross sporadically manages to visit。It's several years later that Cashel discovers that Pelham Ross is Sir Guy Stillwell and is not only the father of the twins but his father as well。 Cashel is so shocked that he runs away and joins the army， as a drummer。 His first encounter with war is at Waterloo。 This is where his life will change from being a carefree， young man into someone desperate to find out his identity。 Is he just the illegitimate son of Elspeth and Pelham Ross or someone destined to live life to the maxim。 I have been expounding all and sundry with the story of this remarkable man。 William Boyd’s writing made me feel as if I was there， following Cashel as he mixed with people like Shelley and Byron， or falling madly in love。 It feels like a real biography of a truly remarkable man。 It’s one of the cleverest methods of writing I’ve encountered。 Thank you， William Boyd。 You’ve given me so much to think about journeying through this novel。 RonyElite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review。 。。。more
Steve Cripwell
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Born in 1799 Cashel Greville Ross experienced many years of luck and loss。 Moving around the world as a soldier， felon， writer， father， and lover he experiences all his life before he discovers who he really is。 Wouldn't we all like to discover who we really are？ The book blurb drew me into this book。 I was certainly not disappointed as it is beautifully written。 Such a cleverly written book and intriguing all the way through。 I haven't read anything by this author but I will be looking out for Born in 1799 Cashel Greville Ross experienced many years of luck and loss。 Moving around the world as a soldier， felon， writer， father， and lover he experiences all his life before he discovers who he really is。 Wouldn't we all like to discover who we really are？ The book blurb drew me into this book。 I was certainly not disappointed as it is beautifully written。 Such a cleverly written book and intriguing all the way through。 I haven't read anything by this author but I will be looking out for his other work。 There is an amount of tongue-in-cheek humor too。 A great read。 。。。more
Amy
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*I received a free preview copy of this book from NetGalley*William Boyd has the unfortunate affliction of having written a much loved novel and having his fans want him to write something as great again。 And so as Any Human Heart covered a man’s life across the twentieth century， the Romantic does the same for the nineteenth。 We accompany the hero Cashel Greville Ross as he grows up in Ireland and Oxford， fights at Waterloo， meets Romantic poets in Europe， journeys to America and spends decades *I received a free preview copy of this book from NetGalley*William Boyd has the unfortunate affliction of having written a much loved novel and having his fans want him to write something as great again。 And so as Any Human Heart covered a man’s life across the twentieth century， the Romantic does the same for the nineteenth。 We accompany the hero Cashel Greville Ross as he grows up in Ireland and Oxford， fights at Waterloo， meets Romantic poets in Europe， journeys to America and spends decades pining for a woman he met in Italy。 The novel is structured as a reconstruction of Ross’ own papers - complete with sketch maps and authorial footnotes。 There is a great twist in the early part of the novel which I particularly enjoyed。We follow our hero， anticipating his naivety as he becomes embroiled in yet another money making scheme and willing to overlook the implausibility of a life that crosses across so many key events of the 19th century。 The reason I’m giving this four and a half stars not five is because of the undeveloped female characters。 Boyd spends paragraphs describing the main female character’s appearance but we learn little of her personality or why he pines for her over fifty years。 Throughout the novel it seems no woman is immune to Ross’ charms or unwilling to sleep with him despite this taking place in an era before reliable contraception。 The Romantic was an enjoyable romp and perhaps Boyd can be persuaded to find the diaries of a eighteenth century protagonist， who may have dined with Jane Austen， Marie Antoinette and The Founding Fathers？ 。。。more
Fran McBookface
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I love those books with a big sweeping story you can just sink into and lose yourself。 A bit like the literary version of a big comfy blanket in Autumn。 The Romantic is certainly one of those。 I absolutely adored this story and it goes up there as one of my books of the year。The fictional biography of Cashel Greville Ross takes us from his beginnings as an orphan living with his aunt in rural Ireland through the many adventures and loves in his life。 A fantastical， fabulous journey that sees Ro I love those books with a big sweeping story you can just sink into and lose yourself。 A bit like the literary version of a big comfy blanket in Autumn。 The Romantic is certainly one of those。 I absolutely adored this story and it goes up there as one of my books of the year。The fictional biography of Cashel Greville Ross takes us from his beginnings as an orphan living with his aunt in rural Ireland through the many adventures and loves in his life。 A fantastical， fabulous journey that sees Ross present at the battle of Waterloo， befriend Shelley and Byron in Italy， become a farmer in America and an explorer in Africa。 Along the way he finds love several times but most significantly with Raphaella who he can never truly forget。It's a life of highs and lows and great adventure and loss but Cashel always manages to pick himself up and keep going。 The writing is a joy and Boyd has that skill of conjuring the sights and sounds of place and time that effortlessly transports the reader。 Though this is quite a lengthy book I just didn’t want it to end。 I have only read one other by Boyd but after this I’ll certainly be seeking more out。 In fact I can't believe I've not read Any Human Heart so I've added that to my out of control reading pile and will wait for a time to read when I can savour it。 。。。more
Rachel Axford
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To begin with I wasn’t sure about this book， but after a few pages， I loved it and couldn’t stop talking about it。 It’s clever， and although William Boyd uses words that I’ve never read before and had to use a thesaurus， it’s still easy to read and immensely enjoyable。 Cashel Greville Ross is a man who manages to reinvent himself many times being a soldier， a writer， a lecturer， a brewer， an adventurer etc， although he still remains the same at his core， a romantic。 I’m giving this book a well d To begin with I wasn’t sure about this book， but after a few pages， I loved it and couldn’t stop talking about it。 It’s clever， and although William Boyd uses words that I’ve never read before and had to use a thesaurus， it’s still easy to read and immensely enjoyable。 Cashel Greville Ross is a man who manages to reinvent himself many times being a soldier， a writer， a lecturer， a brewer， an adventurer etc， although he still remains the same at his core， a romantic。 I’m giving this book a well deserved 5* 。。。more
Peter Willoughby
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Brilliant！The Romantic by William Boyd is a classic story told of an adventurous romantic who lives through an almost unbelievable series of events in his life。It is of course written as it is true， and as the reader you wish/hope that it was。Brilliant characters， brilliant adventures。 A mixture of pleasure and pathos， never quite reaching his paradise。I loved it， and although it was quite a long book， I didn't want it to end。Thanks to the author and the publisher for an advanced copy for an hon Brilliant！The Romantic by William Boyd is a classic story told of an adventurous romantic who lives through an almost unbelievable series of events in his life。It is of course written as it is true， and as the reader you wish/hope that it was。Brilliant characters， brilliant adventures。 A mixture of pleasure and pathos， never quite reaching his paradise。I loved it， and although it was quite a long book， I didn't want it to end。Thanks to the author and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review。 。。。more
GP Hyde
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William Boyd has a strong record of writing lengthy novels featuring the life journey of singular individual。 There is Brodie Moncur in ‘Love is Blind，’ Amory Clay in ‘Sweet Caress’ and Logan Mountstuart in ‘Any Human Heart。’ Here we have another unique individual， Cashel Ross。 Boyd tells us in a prologue how he has written a biography of Ross by using as a source a hundred pages of notes， sketches， and other memorabilia that he has found。 The reader must decide if Ross did indeed live the life William Boyd has a strong record of writing lengthy novels featuring the life journey of singular individual。 There is Brodie Moncur in ‘Love is Blind，’ Amory Clay in ‘Sweet Caress’ and Logan Mountstuart in ‘Any Human Heart。’ Here we have another unique individual， Cashel Ross。 Boyd tells us in a prologue how he has written a biography of Ross by using as a source a hundred pages of notes， sketches， and other memorabilia that he has found。 The reader must decide if Ross did indeed live the life that Boyd has pieced together from these fragments or if Boyd is reprising the approach he used in his alleged biography of the American artist， Nat Tate。 The latter turned out to be a complete fiction。 But then fiction is， well， fictional。Whatever the truth， Boyd’s account of Ross’s life goes from him being a drummer boy at the battle of Waterloo， meeting his great love， Raphaella and then journeying round Europe and striking up friendships with Shelley and Byron。 He writes a travel guide and a novel， emigrates to America where he farms and marries。 He returns to Europe where he is persuaded to become an explorer in Africa， searching for the source of the Nile。 Again， he rubs shoulders with historical figures such as Richard Burton。 Eventually he takes a job as a consul in Trieste where he becomes involved with illicit trade。 Here the novel becomes like a thriller as we wonder how Ross will deal with his latest set of problems。 Ross is a fascinating character， going from one extraordinary situation to another。 It’s his own decisions which take him forward。 But these are not moral decisions in the sense of choosing between right or wrong。 Rather， they are decisions stemming from his own heartfelt instincts。 This becomes the underlying theme of this novel – how our own decisions shape the life we lead。 This is a long novel and Boyd keeps the narrative moving forward by not hesitating to leap five or ten years。 Occasionally， this gives a disjointed feel and the sense of events being skated over。 For example， Ross becomes inadvertently and heavily addicted to opiate painkillers。 This could have been a turning point， but Ross decides to kick the habit with as much effort as it takes to quit cigarettes。 Really？ I had thought that we would see Ross struggling terribly with his addiction but no， it’s just swept aside。 There are shortfalls in depicting characters， particularly with Ignatz， Ross’s companion and fixer。 I felt that this important relationship was under-explored and that we needed to know more about why Ignatz sticks with Ross throughout a range of troubles。Finally， I was unconvinced by Ross’s love for Raphaella。 We meet her early on in the 1820s in the heat of their affair but then Ross seems to think of her only occasionally until they meet forty years later。 I wondered whether the relationship was insufficiently explored in the text or if Ross has such a busy crowded life that he did in fact think of her only occasionally。 In which case， the relationship is quite shallow。 I would have liked to have had more on Ross’s reaction to the century he lives through， a century of as much change as the one which follows it。 Yes， there is the occasional mention of new technologies such as the railway or the telegraph。 But this would have made for a different type of novel and Boyd sensibly keeps the focus on Cashel Ross and exploring events made him live the life of a romantic， committed to his own way and discovering his own truths。If you’re a Boyd enthusiast， you will know that you’re in for an enjoyable read with the trademark Boyd approach of detailed depiction of people and places。 If you’re new to Boyd， then certainly give it a try but remember that this novel is best read at a slower， almost contemplative pace。 There’s no benefit in skimming it to get to more dramatic interludes。 This is because Boyd is covering over eighty years of Ross’s life and his complex relationships。 You can’t rush the reading of this depth of writing。My thanks go to NetGalley for making available a pre-publication copy so that I might write an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Tony M
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The Romantic is an exhilarating tale， superbly told， taking the reader on an epic journey through most of the 19th century and to such diverse locations as County Cork， Oxford， Waterloo， London， India， Italy， New England， Zanzibar， the African interior， Trieste， Rhodes， Venice， etc in the company of Cahel Ross， the eponymous romantic of the title。 At its heart， this book is an enduring love story but it is also at times a rollicking adventure story as well as a commentary on the social condition The Romantic is an exhilarating tale， superbly told， taking the reader on an epic journey through most of the 19th century and to such diverse locations as County Cork， Oxford， Waterloo， London， India， Italy， New England， Zanzibar， the African interior， Trieste， Rhodes， Venice， etc in the company of Cahel Ross， the eponymous romantic of the title。 At its heart， this book is an enduring love story but it is also at times a rollicking adventure story as well as a commentary on the social conditions and mores of the various communities encountered by Cahel。 The characters are superbly described， both the fictitious ones and the genuine historical ones with whom Cahel shares his adventures， and the reader can easily picture the physical appearance and personality of each one of them。 This book is very highly recommended。 。。。more
Claire Flanagan
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Set in nineteenth century， Cashel travels extensively， the most important part of this novel for me is when he meets his love。 I could visualise each part the descriptions are so well written with a wry humour that is well developed。 A bittersweet return I enjoyed the irony。
Maria Smith
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A longtime fan of William Boyd's novels and this one didn't disappoint。 。 A fictional autobiography centered around the likeable character Cashew Greville Ross and how his life links through to historical events of the 19th century。 Well written， wonderful story and interesting characters throughout。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance readers copy A longtime fan of William Boyd's novels and this one didn't disappoint。 。 A fictional autobiography centered around the likeable character Cashew Greville Ross and how his life links through to historical events of the 19th century。 Well written， wonderful story and interesting characters throughout。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance readers copy 。。。more
Kate O'Shea
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Well that's more like a William Boyd。 Or rather， the sort of Boyd that I enjoy。 I've been disappointed with some of his more recent books but this takes me back to wonderful saga style that he is so brilliant at。 In The Romantic we follow the life of Cashel Greville Ross who， you might be forgiven for thinking， was a real person， such is the mastery of Boyd's work。 Ross begins life ignominiously enough but he makes the most of the opportunities that come his way。 Although I can't help thinking t Well that's more like a William Boyd。 Or rather， the sort of Boyd that I enjoy。 I've been disappointed with some of his more recent books but this takes me back to wonderful saga style that he is so brilliant at。 In The Romantic we follow the life of Cashel Greville Ross who， you might be forgiven for thinking， was a real person， such is the mastery of Boyd's work。 Ross begins life ignominiously enough but he makes the most of the opportunities that come his way。 Although I can't help thinking that things happen to Mr Ross rather than him making them occur。 In fact when he does have an idea of how to proceed in life it invariably means disaster to some extent。I think the only time Cashel makes the running is in affairs of the heart and the name of the book is apt。 He is a true romantic。 From affairs of the heart to wanting to be a success at anything， Cashel Ross finds himself generally outplayed， outwitted and taken advantage of at every turn。This might sound like a bad thing but he always takes his beatings with grace and finds another scheme to make his name。 He's extremely adaptable， personable， attractive and a gentleman to boot。 All in all this is a thoroughly enjoyable， immensely readable book。 It's not overlong as some fictional autobiographies can be and you get some very famous names thrown in for good measure as Cashel Greville Ross continues his adventures from Waterloo to the discovery of the source of the Nile。Highly recommended for fans of Boyd or not。 If you simply enjoy a good tale， extremely well told you will enjoy this。 Just don't try to rush it。 Sit back and enjoy the life。Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin books for the ARC。 To say I was delighted to be approved would be a huge understatement。 。。。more
K Bates
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William Boyd， rarely， if ever disappoints and the Romantic is no exception。 Its a vast， epic journey through life， of loves lost， opportunites taken and opportunites missed， and history lived。 A life of wealth and poverty， struggle and plenty。 It straddles continents， brings Byron and Shelley briefly to life and I wonder if it is how William Boyd would liked to have spent his own life had he been born a century earlier。A huge adventure， terrific。
Isobel Brown
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A Dashing FellowAnother lovely story from William Boyd arrives this Autumn。 Cashel Greville Ross is our hero， the eponymous 'Romantic'。 As we've come to expect with this author， the tale is well-told， intriguing， and it brushes us up against real historical events （a walk-on role at the battle of Waterloo; hanging out with Lord Byron and his poetic chums on their Mediterranean meanderings）， and teasing us with imagining that his story might also be true。 Ross's unorthodox beginnings take him fro A Dashing FellowAnother lovely story from William Boyd arrives this Autumn。 Cashel Greville Ross is our hero， the eponymous 'Romantic'。 As we've come to expect with this author， the tale is well-told， intriguing， and it brushes us up against real historical events （a walk-on role at the battle of Waterloo; hanging out with Lord Byron and his poetic chums on their Mediterranean meanderings）， and teasing us with imagining that his story might also be true。 Ross's unorthodox beginnings take him from an Irish village， to Europe， to America and back again， and Boyd's skilful writing always brings us the scent of the briny Atlantic ocean， the stench of the battlefield， the lapping of the waves by the summer shore。There's a good dose of existential musings on life， relationships， the nature of fiction。Always thought-provoking， with Boyd in charge。Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Viking for letting me read this beguiling novel early， and spread the word。 。。。more
Lucille
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The Romantic is a fictional biography of a man named Cashel Greville Ross， born in 1799。 His life spans the history of the 19th century， encompassing major events like the Battle of Waterloo， and his travels to Italy and Africa， discovering the source of the Nile。 I particularly liked how Ross's story included well-known people like Byron， Shelley， and Mary Shelley， and how the personal mistakes Ross made weren't glossed over。 William Boyd brings historical novels alive as few contemporary write The Romantic is a fictional biography of a man named Cashel Greville Ross， born in 1799。 His life spans the history of the 19th century， encompassing major events like the Battle of Waterloo， and his travels to Italy and Africa， discovering the source of the Nile。 I particularly liked how Ross's story included well-known people like Byron， Shelley， and Mary Shelley， and how the personal mistakes Ross made weren't glossed over。 William Boyd brings historical novels alive as few contemporary writers are able to do and I enjoyed this almost as much as I enjoyed Any Human Heart。 Certainly one for all his many fans。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the opportunity to read and review The Romantic。 。。。more
Heather Trevis
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Boyd is an excellent storyteller and I was immediately drawn in to this novel， which follows the life of Cashel Greville Ross， a fictional character born in 1799。 The protagonist’s adventures take him from Ireland to Oxford， then to the battle of Waterloo， then to India， and to encounters with real historical figures such as Lord Byron and the Shelleys， as well as other countless compelling situations。 Each time Cashel hopes that the next episode in his life will be more fortuitous， that life wi Boyd is an excellent storyteller and I was immediately drawn in to this novel， which follows the life of Cashel Greville Ross， a fictional character born in 1799。 The protagonist’s adventures take him from Ireland to Oxford， then to the battle of Waterloo， then to India， and to encounters with real historical figures such as Lord Byron and the Shelleys， as well as other countless compelling situations。 Each time Cashel hopes that the next episode in his life will be more fortuitous， that life will be fairer and that he will finally find his true self – he could be speaking for so many of us！ I really loved this book。 Nowadays I'm finding it harder to come across a novel that I'd much rather be reading than viewing on a screen and this is certainly one of them。 Other characters in the novel had real vitality in the way they were portrayed and my imagination was fired by Cashel’s many adventures。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Sharyn
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I never thought I would DNF a William Boyd book but I could not get engrossed in this one。 I never warmed to Cashel， and his exploits left me cold。 I gave up just before 50% which had taken me three days whereas a book of fewer than four hundred pages would usually take me a couple of days to complete。 As always， the book is well written with a lovely vocabulary but， for me， something was missing。 The formatting of the footnotes is off but I am sure that will have been corrected in the final ver I never thought I would DNF a William Boyd book but I could not get engrossed in this one。 I never warmed to Cashel， and his exploits left me cold。 I gave up just before 50% which had taken me three days whereas a book of fewer than four hundred pages would usually take me a couple of days to complete。 As always， the book is well written with a lovely vocabulary but， for me， something was missing。 The formatting of the footnotes is off but I am sure that will have been corrected in the final version。 With thanks to NetGalley， the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read and review a e-ARC of this title。 。。。more
cailleach
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At last， a book this year that is a "straight" story with no jumping back in forward in time or "point of view" chapters with different characters。 This is a good old fashioned "history" of the life of Cashel Greville Ross in the style of his memoirs from birth straight through to death。 The only conceit is that sometimes there are little footnotes explaining certain things， some "hand drawn sketches" of areas and house layouts， little bits of "evidence" so that novel reads more like an autobiog At last， a book this year that is a "straight" story with no jumping back in forward in time or "point of view" chapters with different characters。 This is a good old fashioned "history" of the life of Cashel Greville Ross in the style of his memoirs from birth straight through to death。 The only conceit is that sometimes there are little footnotes explaining certain things， some "hand drawn sketches" of areas and house layouts， little bits of "evidence" so that novel reads more like an autobiography。 Cashel is borna as a result of a liaison between his mother （who he believes to eb his aunt for many years） a governess and her employer and Anglo Irish aristocrat。 We follow Cashel as he traverses the globe trying to make his way in life。 Along the way he meets Byron and the Shelley's， spends time in the Marshalsea， liives in America and explores Africa。 Much of his adult life is dominated by the after effects of an illicit love affair。 It was an engaging and "comforting" read。 A few storylines went nowhere or were resolved in a line or two （ such as an opium addiction） but I enjoyed spending time with Cashel on his life's journey。 。。。more
Keith Currie
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Regrets？ I’ve had a few。Being the biography of Cashel Greville Ross， born in Ireland in 1799， buried in Venice over eighty years later， a picaresque， episodic narrative， reminiscent of Barry Lyndon or one of those Victorian novels originally serialised in a magazine。 Ross， the illegitimate son of the big house， a drummer boy at Waterloo， an officer in the Indian Army refusing to carry out an atrocity， by his late twenties he has partied with Byron and the Shelleys in Italy， had a frenzied affair Regrets？ I’ve had a few。Being the biography of Cashel Greville Ross， born in Ireland in 1799， buried in Venice over eighty years later， a picaresque， episodic narrative， reminiscent of Barry Lyndon or one of those Victorian novels originally serialised in a magazine。 Ross， the illegitimate son of the big house， a drummer boy at Waterloo， an officer in the Indian Army refusing to carry out an atrocity， by his late twenties he has partied with Byron and the Shelleys in Italy， had a frenzied affair with an Italian noblewoman， published his first novel， been defrauded， imprisoned for debt and emigrated to the United States to build an ideal community。 With his loyal servant Ignatz， he starts the first Lager brewery in America， marries， fathers two daughters， attempts to find the source of the Nile， begins a feud with Burton and Speke， becomes a Consul in Trieste， meets again the love of his youth， Countess Raphaella， but perhaps， all too late。A panoramic story， at its heart the hopeless， impetuous romantic that is Cashel Greville Ross。 William Boyd is a superb story teller。 The conceit of the tale is that he is merely reworking the surviving notes， letters and mementoes of Ross into a fictionalised biography。 Footnotes enhance the joke。 I especially enjoyed finding out where in the British Museum could be found the Lion of Glymphonos， a particularly impressive piece of looted Greek statuary。 Cashel is a wonderful creation， Don Quixote to Ignatz’ Sancho Panza and Raphaella’s Dulcinea。A super novel; great reading; whatever next？ 。。。more
Melanie Garrett
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The Romantic is yet another tremendous piece of writing from William Boyd。 It’s a cracking read for anyone who enjoys an elegant， twisty story。 But， more than this， it’s part of the body of work which started with the New Confessions and Any Human Heart （and let’s not forget Nat Tate）。 The questions at the core of this project are how does one measure/chronicle， do justice to， a life？ Must it be the cinecamera approach， catching every moment along the way or， is it better to wait until the end a The Romantic is yet another tremendous piece of writing from William Boyd。 It’s a cracking read for anyone who enjoys an elegant， twisty story。 But， more than this， it’s part of the body of work which started with the New Confessions and Any Human Heart （and let’s not forget Nat Tate）。 The questions at the core of this project are how does one measure/chronicle， do justice to， a life？ Must it be the cinecamera approach， catching every moment along the way or， is it better to wait until the end and take stock with the end in hand？ If you’re William Boyd， it would appear the answer is that you’d better try both， even a few times， to see which works better。 The trouble is when he is so excellent at both， how will an answer ever be arrived at？In THE ROMANTIC， Boyd has jumped centuries。 The novel starts in 1822 and moves forward to the 19th Century。 It’s a choice which immediately changed things up – or it did for this reader anyway。 Because I have far less knowledge about this period， I was left waiting for our hero’s life to crash into big historical moments as opposed to trying to guess ahead as I read。 Not that this is necessarily better – but it is very different – so you are not rereading Boyd’s own tropes as it were。Something else that I loved – although it is also terrifying – was having the overview of where our hero made a stupid mistake which then dogged the rest of his life。 It happened to Logan Mountstuart and lo， also to Cashel Greville Ross。 But I also loved how both men rallied themselves and careened onwards， stumbling into more preposterous danger and madcap antics。I wept for Logan Mountstuart and all these years later I am still secretly in love with him。 I cheered Cashel on with a swollen heart， hoping and praying he’d get a good death – as his Irish family would have wished for。 If you liked ANY HUMAN HEART you will love THE ROMANTIC。 If you didn’t like ANY HUMAN HEART what is wrong with you？With many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy of this title。 。。。more
Su Thor
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The story begins somewhere in Scotland on 14th December 1799， the same day that George Washington died。 I'm not entirely sure why we are told this other than to help the reader to place the date of Cashew Greville Ross' full and eventual life and to authenticate this fictional autobiography。 Initially， I found this unfolding narrative style of merging facts （death of George Washington， battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the lives of Byron， Shelly and Speke） distracting but on reflecting it does add The story begins somewhere in Scotland on 14th December 1799， the same day that George Washington died。 I'm not entirely sure why we are told this other than to help the reader to place the date of Cashew Greville Ross' full and eventual life and to authenticate this fictional autobiography。 Initially， I found this unfolding narrative style of merging facts （death of George Washington， battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the lives of Byron， Shelly and Speke） distracting but on reflecting it does add to give some historical context to the biography of Cashew Grenville Ross as he travels the world and participates in some bazaar schemes。 En route he has some liaisons with some women but only one of them has any lasting effect on his life。 In the end I thought that this was a bit of a race to see how this eventful， adventurous story would end。 It is brilliantly told by William Boyd who IS a talented storyteller。Thank you for providing me with this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 I look forward to reading more of William Boyd's books。 。。。more
MISS K DENTON
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William Boyd is a brilliant writer and this book is wonderfully written。 The story of Cashel Greville Ross is a romp through the 19th century。 We meet literary and explorer legends and follow Cashel as he bumbles through， making mistake after mistake and frustratingly， learning from none of them。 I couldn’t quite believe a man could be that gullible and he started to annoy me after a while， which is testament to Boyd’s writing skills and his ability to evoke strong emotions in a reader。 Still a William Boyd is a brilliant writer and this book is wonderfully written。 The story of Cashel Greville Ross is a romp through the 19th century。 We meet literary and explorer legends and follow Cashel as he bumbles through， making mistake after mistake and frustratingly， learning from none of them。 I couldn’t quite believe a man could be that gullible and he started to annoy me after a while， which is testament to Boyd’s writing skills and his ability to evoke strong emotions in a reader。 Still a 5 star read which was hard to put down。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Romantic
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Romantic&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Romantic&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0