blancwene's review
4.0
I seem to be in the minority here because I love The Fiery Pantheon. But I also loved Nancy Lemann's writing going into this, so...
Yes, there is a lot of repetition, and Lemann has favorite words that appear again and again: vast, madly, besotted, dementedly. (See this review from the NYT). But there are also hysterically funny passages: Grace's various accidental conquests unraveling before your eyes, Walter attempting to change into a tuxedo in an airplane lavatory à la James Bond.
I almost think parts of this novel work better read aloud; when I reached a good passage (which to be honest was every few pages), I'd read it out loud to whatever poor soul happened to be in my vicinity. They seemed to enjoy them, but then again, they could have just been humoring a crazed person.
Yes, there is a lot of repetition, and Lemann has favorite words that appear again and again: vast, madly, besotted, dementedly. (See this review from the NYT). But there are also hysterically funny passages: Grace's various accidental conquests unraveling before your eyes, Walter attempting to change into a tuxedo in an airplane lavatory à la James Bond.
I almost think parts of this novel work better read aloud; when I reached a good passage (which to be honest was every few pages), I'd read it out loud to whatever poor soul happened to be in my vicinity. They seemed to enjoy them, but then again, they could have just been humoring a crazed person.
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