Review: Fantastic historical epic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 16, 2013
I let myself give in to the The Young Lions" this week, and it transported me to another time and to intriguing and exotic locations, from the wild west of Canada to London and Scotland and to Africa during the Boer War. First and foremost, this is an excellent story that unfolds brilliantly with lyrical prose that brings each new location to life. Pure escape, and I appreciate all the ways it succeeded.  Our hero is an entirely engaging character. Robert is damaged and wild in fundamental ways, and in fact a major theme of the book is his slightly skewed moral code, which is at most times is admirable in a heroic way and other times (especially when it comes to women) questionable. In this way the book will appeal to fans of Hemingway--it's a man's point of view, backed by a moral code that includes tough and dangerous decisions and actions. Other characters are engaging too, lots of great development.The book is a pleasure to read. The vocabulary is excellent, and the South African words woven into the dialogue add rich resonance. (A glossary is included which you may not read when reading in context, but it's really cool to browse through.) And if you are like my wife's book club and like to cook a meal to go with your discussion of the book, there's even a recipe included. The adventures are fully described, including erotic ones--one scene in particular with Martjie (whose nursing might be worth contracting malaria for) won't be forgotten soon! All in all a really recommended epic tale to take you on a great escape.