The Romantic
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- Create Date：2022-10-15 06:53:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：William Boyd
- ISBN：0241542030
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Reviews
Rebekah
，
Ok， so don't call me out because i actually didn't finish this book， i simply couldn't。 I don't actually know how anybody managed to get through this turgid piece of onanism （onanism， and revelling in the act， is a grand theme of this novel which is fitting for this self-indulgent piece of nonsense）also pls don't call me out for reading and loving Knausgaard who， yes I know， could be accused of doing the same things I am about to lambast Boyd for here， but I love Knausgaard's writing， for his ge Ok， so don't call me out because i actually didn't finish this book， i simply couldn't。 I don't actually know how anybody managed to get through this turgid piece of onanism （onanism， and revelling in the act， is a grand theme of this novel which is fitting for this self-indulgent piece of nonsense）also pls don't call me out for reading and loving Knausgaard who， yes I know， could be accused of doing the same things I am about to lambast Boyd for here， but I love Knausgaard's writing， for his generous， beautiful way of transforming the mundane into magic， and I do not love this one bit， so sue me， what are you gonna do about it。this is a man's book， about a man， and primarily about a man's concern about what a man can leave behind in the world。 who will remember me？ what is left？ where do i go when i die？ it whines incessantly。DON'T LET ME DISAPPEAR。。。WHAT ABOUT MY LIFE AS A MAN？ this novel asks and i truly could not care less。 this is the book equivalent of a man compulsively having babies in order to replicate himself and ensure endless survival。 are women as concerned with posterity， with making/leaving their mark in this desperate craven way？ I don't think so， I think it's just men that have this need to stamp their stubby hands over everything and i don't have time for it。 。。。more
Helen
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Wandering through Africa wasn’t that much different， in a sense， from wandering through London， or Paris， or Boston。 You thought the road ahead was obvious and well marked but more often than not the destination you had so clearly in mind would never be reached。 Never。 Things got in the way。 There were diversions， problems， changes of mind， changes of heart…Cashel Greville Ross， the hero of William Boyd’s new novel The Romantic， is a man who does plenty of wandering and whose path through life c Wandering through Africa wasn’t that much different， in a sense， from wandering through London， or Paris， or Boston。 You thought the road ahead was obvious and well marked but more often than not the destination you had so clearly in mind would never be reached。 Never。 Things got in the way。 There were diversions， problems， changes of mind， changes of heart…Cashel Greville Ross， the hero of William Boyd’s new novel The Romantic， is a man who does plenty of wandering and whose path through life changes direction many times。 Born in Ireland in 1799， he lives through some of the major events of the 19th century and becomes a soldier， a writer， a farmer and an explorer – though not all at the same time。 He is present on the battlefield of Waterloo， befriends Byron and Shelley in Pisa and travels through Africa in search of the source of the Nile。Cashel is not a real person， of course， although Boyd does his best to convince us that he is。 The book is presented as a biography， complete with footnotes， pieced together from a bundle of letters， notes， maps and photographs which apparently fell into Boyd’s hands several years ago。 It’s not a new idea， but it’s very cleverly done here and I can almost guarantee that you’ll be googling things to see if they’re true， even while knowing that they can’t possibly be！The Romantic is a long novel， but I read most of it in one weekend because it was so gripping I couldn’t bear to put it down。 Although the story never becomes bogged down with historical or geographical detail， it’s still completely immersive and I loved every minute I spent in Cashel’s world。 His life story unfolds in a series of distinct episodes and I found each one equally compelling: his childhood in County Cork and the uncovering of family secrets; a journey across Italy in order to write a book about his travels; a moral dilemma faced in a Sri Lankan village while fighting with the Indian Army…these are just a few of Cashel’s adventures and there are many more which I’ll leave you to discover for yourself。Cashel himself is a likeable character， but also a flawed one。 As the title suggests， he’s hopelessly romantic; as a young man， his own proud and impulsive nature ruins his chance of happiness with the woman he loves and this sets the tone for the rest of the novel and the rest of his life， as he continually moves from country to country， continent to continent， unable to put this missed opportunity behind him and settle down。 His naivety makes him vulnerable and he is repeatedly taken advantage of， suffering a series of injustices and at one point ending up in the Marshalsea Prison for debt， but he never seems to learn from his mistakes， falling into the same traps over and over again。 It’s frustrating， but it’s also what kept me turning the pages， desperate to see how Cashel would get out of the latest predicament he had found himself in！This is one of my books of the year without a doubt and I’m sorry that I’ve never read any William Boyd before。 。。。more
Peter Baran
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I've read pretty much everything William Boyd has written， good and bad， and I think he's the only author to get a fiction book on a decidedly non-fiction reading list with The New Confessions （for my film MA）。 And The Romantic is very much in the style of the New Confessions， a way of telling a story of a century through fiction biography， albeit of someone who intersects with real people and real history。 In this mode， Boyd is able to draw with a big canvas， here almost telling a new short sto I've read pretty much everything William Boyd has written， good and bad， and I think he's the only author to get a fiction book on a decidedly non-fiction reading list with The New Confessions （for my film MA）。 And The Romantic is very much in the style of the New Confessions， a way of telling a story of a century through fiction biography， albeit of someone who intersects with real people and real history。 In this mode， Boyd is able to draw with a big canvas， here almost telling a new short story in a new locale every chapter。 Here his lead character is Cashel Greville Ross， who in course of a long life fights at Waterloo， hangs out with Shelley and Byron， writes his own novel of his own doomed love， ends up in jail， then off to make a new life in America。 And it all flows effortlessly from namedrop to namedrop without ever feeling clunky。Boyd's secret sauce in these kinds of books is making the fictional characters - particularly the lead - weirdly specific in their own right。 The narrative flexes required to send him to the front， and jail， and even his late stage flirtation with being a dodgy South American ambassador， are all sewn in the pages before。 What is even more impressive here is that Boyd manages to give his lead a moral core which is often hard to do - particularly when a character is ensconced in the British Empire （it is notable that Ross doesn't really get very involved with nationalistic enterprise - except perhaps trying to find the source of the Nile - did I mention that？） Boyd is also very keen on love underpinning everything， and the title of the book has a deliberate double meaning in that case， leading to a pleasingly heart-breaking ending。This is a real return to form for Boyd， perhaps by escaping modernity he has been able to settle into his stronger qualities。 This is an impressively page-turning picaresque novel， which I think deliberately takes on trappings of the form for comfort （Ross even picks up his own Sancho Panza）。 There are flaws too， mainly which come with the form - some chapters take place over weeks， whilst there are chunky time jumps to get to the requisite time period to intersect with history。 At its heart， it is a fun romp with a compelling lead character and plenty of name drops and weird bits of history to make the reader feel clever for their own bits of knowledge it then fleshes out。 A return to form！ 。。。more
Melanie Caldicott
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This was a wonderfully crafted cradle to grave story of Cashel Greville Ross。 Written as a fictional biography Boyd weaves in true historical events and people giving us a insightful sweep into 19th century life spanning many countries and continents。 I enjoyed reading about Ross as a character and all of his adventures and relationships。 A great immersive story。This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book。
Annarella
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A journey all over the world and an overview of the story of XIX century， this the biography of a character but it's also a brilliant story of places and events。The author is a master storyteller and I loved the vivid historical background and the description of the places。Compelling and riveting。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine A journey all over the world and an overview of the story of XIX century， this the biography of a character but it's also a brilliant story of places and events。The author is a master storyteller and I loved the vivid historical background and the description of the places。Compelling and riveting。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Jennyh
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This is the fictional biography of Casher Grenville Ross born in 1799。His life takes him from County Cork through Europe and the Americas。This is a beautifully written and crafted novel with meticulous research。 Once past the first few pages I was hooked。 The storyline was compelling and the intricate characters pulled me further into the book。It is always a treat to find a new author but it is even better to find a new book by a favourite author。
Vicuña
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I believe William Boyd is one of the best contemporary authors and his talent as a storyteller is remarkable。 The Romantic is Boyd on best form; an engrossing tale packed with characters and adventures that take the reader literally into unknown lands。It’s a physical and metaphysical journey as the central character travels the world and develops as a man， spiritually and morally。 It’s adventures within an adventure as he moves from one diverse location to another， facing different challenges al I believe William Boyd is one of the best contemporary authors and his talent as a storyteller is remarkable。 The Romantic is Boyd on best form; an engrossing tale packed with characters and adventures that take the reader literally into unknown lands。It’s a physical and metaphysical journey as the central character travels the world and develops as a man， spiritually and morally。 It’s adventures within an adventure as he moves from one diverse location to another， facing different challenges along the way。 It’s packed with historic detail and I was swept along by a beautifully written and very clever tale。 For me， this book has the same magic as Any Human Heart。 Its huge in scope and Boyd teases the reader in the same way。 Step into this narrative and travel with Cashel; it’s a mind twisting journey and never disappoints。 I loved it and will read it again as there’s so much to take in。My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley。 。。。more
Steve Cripwell
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Born in 1799 Cashel Greville Ross experiences many years of luck and loss。 Moving around the world as a soldier， felon， writer， father and lover he experiences all 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 o Born in 1799 Cashel Greville Ross experiences many years of luck and loss。 Moving around the world as a soldier， felon， writer， father and lover he experiences all 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 humour too。 A great read。 。。。more
Lucy
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William Boyd is one of my go-to authors， I feel he will never disappoint - and again he's turned out another brilliant story。Set in the early 19th century， this is the story of the journey of Cashel Greville Ross。 It's a geographical journey - travelling the world and encountering its colours and characters; a physical journey through boyhood to life as a man and father; an emotional journey as he experiences love， heartbreak， and skirmishes with criminality。Above all this is just a great story， William Boyd is one of my go-to authors， I feel he will never disappoint - and again he's turned out another brilliant story。Set in the early 19th century， this is the story of the journey of Cashel Greville Ross。 It's a geographical journey - travelling the world and encountering its colours and characters; a physical journey through boyhood to life as a man and father; an emotional journey as he experiences love， heartbreak， and skirmishes with criminality。Above all this is just a great story， packed full of inspiring characters and places。 I've not read such a good story for a long time。 。。。more
Sam Whittaker
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The Romantic is a grand sweep of a novel。 It follows the astonishing life of Cashel Grenville Ross from his birth in 1799。 Brought up as a the orphaned nephew of a governess to a wealthy Irish family， Cashel soon realises that his birth story is fiction。 This propels him into a life roaming and adventuring around the world。 He survives Waterloo， spends summer with Shelley and Byron in Pisa and finds the love of his life in Ravenna。 Nothing every quite works out for Cashel as he follows his heart The Romantic is a grand sweep of a novel。 It follows the astonishing life of Cashel Grenville Ross from his birth in 1799。 Brought up as a the orphaned nephew of a governess to a wealthy Irish family， Cashel soon realises that his birth story is fiction。 This propels him into a life roaming and adventuring around the world。 He survives Waterloo， spends summer with Shelley and Byron in Pisa and finds the love of his life in Ravenna。 Nothing every quite works out for Cashel as he follows his heart， and his instincts， around the world in search of a satisfying and financially rewarding life。 Often running away from a precarious situation， he somehow manages to find safety and prosperity in the most unlikely places。 For much of the book he is accompanied by his faithful man servant Ignatz， more family to him than anyone else。 The Romantic takes a little while to get into but once you are truly in Cashel’s world， it doesn’t let go。 It is a wonderful， absorbing book， obviously beautifully written and researched， this is William Boyd after all！ I’ll be thinking about this astonishing book for a long time。 Thank you to #netgalley and #penguinukbooks for allowing me to review this ARC 。。。more
Geoff Jones
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Cashel Greville Ross lived a full life。 Born in Ireland in 1799。 He is told his parents drowned。 He lives with his aunt Elspeth。 She is a governess on the Stillwell estate in county Cork。 When they move to London his world is turned upside down。He becomes a soldier， decides to write a book on travelling in France and Italy。 Meets Lord Byron and Percy and Mary Shelley。 He then meets the love of his life Raphaela。He becomes a best selling author， is swindled by his publisher and is sent to a debto Cashel Greville Ross lived a full life。 Born in Ireland in 1799。 He is told his parents drowned。 He lives with his aunt Elspeth。 She is a governess on the Stillwell estate in county Cork。 When they move to London his world is turned upside down。He becomes a soldier， decides to write a book on travelling in France and Italy。 Meets Lord Byron and Percy and Mary Shelley。 He then meets the love of his life Raphaela。He becomes a best selling author， is swindled by his publisher and is sent to a debtor prison。 He emigrates to America to run a farm。 Gets married disastrously， fathers two girls。 He then meets the beautiful Frannie who could be Raphaela's double。He tries to find the source of the Nile。 Becomes a consul in Zanzibar。 Ends up an old man in Venice。 He dies aged 83。 However there are many adventures on the way。 You desperately want Cashel to find love and peace with either Raphaela or Frannie。As usual with this author the story is very well told。 Quite a long book at nearly 500 pages。 Very definitely recommended。 。。。more
Shazzad
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Cashel Grenville Ross is the fictional Romantic。 He is also many other things: Waterloo veteran， travel writer， pauper， brewer， adventurer and fugitive。 His life spans 83 years from rural Ireland in 1779 to his death in Graz in 1882。 This provides plenty of scope for the William Boyd to cover many of the scientific， technological and social changes of the period。 Cashel meets and befriends Byron and the Shelley’s during his European adventures; finds the source of the Nile prior to Speke and Bur Cashel Grenville Ross is the fictional Romantic。 He is also many other things: Waterloo veteran， travel writer， pauper， brewer， adventurer and fugitive。 His life spans 83 years from rural Ireland in 1779 to his death in Graz in 1882。 This provides plenty of scope for the William Boyd to cover many of the scientific， technological and social changes of the period。 Cashel meets and befriends Byron and the Shelley’s during his European adventures; finds the source of the Nile prior to Speke and Burton; and inadvertently gets taken advantage of on more than on occasion。 Like a modern Don Quixote， his Sancho Panza is his friend Ignatz Vlac， who is faithful to the end。 Cashel is imbued with a ‘heart that is full’ as his optimism for the world sees him move from one period in his life to another with mixed results。 How much is true or reimagined is unclear as the protagonist realises that the memory is ‘elusive and tricky’ but the mixing of fact， fiction or other embellishment gives the novel a satisfying richness。 Thanks to Penguin UK and Netgalley for a review copy。 。。。more
Val Robson
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I loved this book！ It is a fictional biography of the remarkable and adventurous life of Cashel Greville Ross。 The narrative is set mostly in the 19th century as Cashel was born in 1799。 We follow Cashel’s life from Ireland to England to serving in the Indian Army and then a journey home via Africa and most of Europe。 Cashel gets caught out time and time again by people he loves and trusts but who fail him。The author， William Boyd， weaves real historical events into the plot and it’s hard at tim I loved this book！ It is a fictional biography of the remarkable and adventurous life of Cashel Greville Ross。 The narrative is set mostly in the 19th century as Cashel was born in 1799。 We follow Cashel’s life from Ireland to England to serving in the Indian Army and then a journey home via Africa and most of Europe。 Cashel gets caught out time and time again by people he loves and trusts but who fail him。The author， William Boyd， weaves real historical events into the plot and it’s hard at times not to be distracted by researching these while also wanting to know the continuing story of Cashel’s life。 I really enjoy learning more about history from William Boyd's novels。Boyd has a real gift of bringing alive his characters and locations and does it once more in this delightful book。 An easy five stars from meWith thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree， Hamish Hamilton， Viking， Penguin Life， Penguin Business for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Anne O'Connell
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I’ve enjoyed a couple of William Boyd’s previous books and， inevitably， the cover of this one attracted me。 Our man Cashel has a lot of living and a lot of travelling to do before he sees a balloon rise from the Giardini Reali in Venice， though。 Introduced as a fictional expansion on the real Cashel’s autobiography， The Romantic tells the story of his whole life， from County Cork to Oxford， India and the US （and quite a few more）。 Along the way， he encounters famous people （including Byron and t I’ve enjoyed a couple of William Boyd’s previous books and， inevitably， the cover of this one attracted me。 Our man Cashel has a lot of living and a lot of travelling to do before he sees a balloon rise from the Giardini Reali in Venice， though。 Introduced as a fictional expansion on the real Cashel’s autobiography， The Romantic tells the story of his whole life， from County Cork to Oxford， India and the US （and quite a few more）。 Along the way， he encounters famous people （including Byron and the Shelleys） and finds himself caught up in major events （Waterloo， the quest for the source of the Nile）， a little like a nineteenth century Forrest Gump。 It was tempting to look up every character to see who was real and find out more about them， but instead I let myself be swept along by the story。Despite the repeated changes of scene， I didn’t find it too much of a whirlwind。 Cashel is sometimes self-aware enough to see his flaws and at other times very short-sighted; this makes him engaging company。 Balanced with the improbable coincidences are the missed opportunities， not least relating to his big love affair， and in places there are shadows of what might have been。 Now and again it’s a bit telegraphed but I enjoyed picking it up each evening to see where Cashel’s fate might take him next。 I liked the glimpse of life in the Shelley household and the unvarnished depiction of Byron; he must have been quite exhausting to be around。 Inconsistent， charming and all too human， Cashel is indeed a romantic。 And we could all do with an Ignatz in our life。 I received a free proof copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Daphne Sharpe
，
A fictional biography， of a fictional man， but what a life well lived！ Full of experiences that cause pain， many regrets and the holding close of family secrets。The story flows， the character of Cashel really gets under the skin of this reader， an account of episodic contentment， that Cashel manages to destroy by acting impetuously， recklessly， act in haste and repent at leisure is a constant theme throughout。 Legacy is also important， and causes great despair， when the last person to have known A fictional biography， of a fictional man， but what a life well lived！ Full of experiences that cause pain， many regrets and the holding close of family secrets。The story flows， the character of Cashel really gets under the skin of this reader， an account of episodic contentment， that Cashel manages to destroy by acting impetuously， recklessly， act in haste and repent at leisure is a constant theme throughout。 Legacy is also important， and causes great despair， when the last person to have known you dies， you are also forgotten。 Cashel’s parents have died at sea and he is brought up by his Aunt。 Then， family truths and secrets emerge， a common fact in most family trees of this time， 1800’s， show that your Sister/ Aunt are in fact your mother。 Cashel is then confronted by evidence of bigamous relationships， which cause him to not quite know his place in the world。 As we follow Cashel through his schooldays， a family discovery causes him to act rashly and join the Army。 Waterloo beckons， then the East India Company， where he joins the 5th Madras company on a bought commission and travels to Ceylon。 Later on ， foreign travels lead him to meeting the love of his life， but， he later abandons her， to his everlasting sorrow and deep regret。 Cashel， is impulsive， tries to help his friends and keep to a moral code， but as a dreamer， he falls for adventures and exploits that lead him into trouble and he sometimes has to reinvent himself。 The Romantic man always regrets his lost love， and this influences his future relationships with women。I found Cashel to be a warm hearted person， capable of great deeds， but frequently being led astray， due to wanting to please others。 A flawed character， but a very enjoyable companion on his many travels and travails。A fantastic story and an absolute joy to read。 My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers， Penguin General UK， for my advance digital copy， in return for my honest review。 A five star read。 。。。more
Douglas Howell
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Unfortunately this book wasn't for me。 There wasn't enough depth in it。 Just as I was getting interested in one episode it ended and another started。 As it was fiction， Boyd could easily have included more of less。 I seem to be in the minority judging from other reviews so I am sure most people will thoroughly enjoy this book。 This is an honest review of a complementary ARC。 Unfortunately this book wasn't for me。 There wasn't enough depth in it。 Just as I was getting interested in one episode it ended and another started。 As it was fiction， Boyd could easily have included more of less。 I seem to be in the minority judging from other reviews so I am sure most people will thoroughly enjoy this book。 This is an honest review of a complementary ARC。 。。。more
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
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