Who doesn’t love a sweeping novel? A story that captures an entire life and spans countries and continents. The Romantic by William Boyd, which charts the life of Cashel Greville Ross, is such a book. An out-of-wedlock love child, Cashel becomes a peripheral participant in some significant historical events, accidentally meets some important people and stumbles upon various adventures. I loved Boyd’s enthralling, amusing storytelling, his effortless writing and our charming anti-hero Cashel.
After discovering the shocking truth about his parentage, Cashel runs away from home and joins the army. Before he knows it, he’s a soldier in the battle of Waterloo. Although no heroic acts are involved, Cashel survives and is hailed a hero, a somewhat undeserved status that will serve him well in the future.
From then on, Cashel’s life takes unexpected twists and turns. He fights for the East Indian Army in Sri Lanka, runs into Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley in Pisa, becomes a beer producer in Massachusetts, joins an expedition to find the source of the Nile in Africa, falls madly in love with a married Italian Countess and uncovers an antiquity smuggling ring in Greece.
Driven on by a combination of fool-heartedness, curiosity and a not so small dash of gullibility, Cashel becomes an accidental adventurer living a life that will make yours seems exceedingly boring, all the while mourning the woman he cannot have. He’s the perfect Romantic hero letting intuition and passion inform his life choices, which is partly what makes him such an endearing character (and also a bit of an egotist, but we forgive him). It’s also a novel about self-discovery, Cashel remains on a constant and restless search for who he is, spurred on, no doubt, by his confusing childhood.
But what remains when a life is over, even one as adventurous as Cashel’s, Boyd asks?
‘…the fact is that for the huge majority of people in human history their fate, after a couple of generations or three, is to become effectively unknown, forgotten, a ghost.’
So very true.
You sense that Boyd has fun writing this novel and his enthusiasm is contagious. His excellent writing and captivating storytelling drives this escapist novel forward. A welcome distraction from real life news.
The Romantic by William Boyd is published by Penguin, 480 pages.
