A review by syntheticdinos
The Knot of Vipers by François Mauriac

4.0

I enjoyed this book, because all of the technical aspects were in order. The main character was complex, the themes developed and unfolded as the book progressed, and Mauriac is simply a good writer. But I don't think that I can truly understand and internalize it. I do not have the life experience at 17 to understand the decades of bitterness that the main character accumulates, nor the ambiguous spiritual release he is offered. Granted, I don't generally need to share experience with a character to understand them, but in this case I think it's necessary. In short, I enjoyed the book because it was extremely well-written and interesting, but I'd like to revisit it in the future and see if there is more waiting in the wings for me in terms of connection with its themes.