A review by btmarino84
Prague by Arthur Phillips

4.0

Really great novel. Very funny and also sneakily emotional. The study guide in the back mentions that reviewers have noted the author's compassion for his characters and his lack of compassion for his characters. This is pretty funny and also pretty accurate, the author is something of a wise ass, but one who also writes beautifully and sympathetically. This is the 2nd novel of his I have read and loved, after The Song is You. One passage especially stood out to me as a good example of his style. One of the main characters is in love and heartbroken. He stands outside, on the streets of budapest, looking at the stars and smoking a cigarette. The author goes on for a page or two about the cliche of the scene, how the character knows its a cliche, but how the cliche is perfect for his current mood. The scene is simultaneously hilarious, beautiful and also quite emotional. Who of us has not had a very similar experience?