Named one of the best books of 2018 by The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and The Advocate“Staggeringly brilliant . . . You’ll start The Maze of Windermere with bewilderment, but you’ll close it in awe.” —The Washington Post“Pitch perfect.” —New York Times Book Review When a drunken party guest challenges him to a late-night tennis match, Sandy Allison finds himself unexpectedly entangled in … late-night tennis match, Sandy Allison finds himself unexpectedly entangled in the monied world of Newport, Rhode Island. A former touring pro a little down on his luck, Sandy has nothing to stake against the vintage motorcycle his opponent wagers. But then Alice DuPont—the young heiress to a Newport mansion called Windermere—offers up her diamond necklace.
With this reckless wager begins a dazzling narrative odyssey that braids together four centuries of aspiration and adversity in this renowned seaside society capital. A witty and urbane bachelor of the Gilded Age embarks on a high-risk scheme to marry into a fortune; a young Henry James, soon to make his mark on the world, turns himself to his craft with harrowing social consequences; an aristocratic British officer during the American Revolution carries on a courtship that leads to murder; and, in Newport’s earliest days, a tragically orphaned Quaker girl imagines a way forward for herself and the slave girl she has inherited.
Gregory Blake Smith weaves these intersecting worlds into a rich, brilliant tapestry. A deftly layered novel of love, ambition, and duplicity, The Maze at Windermere charts a voyage across the ages into the maze of the human heart.
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Boring, couldn’t get thru it
This was an amazing book. You have to stick with it st first as there are 5 voices told over time. It is so well written! The voices are believable and I loved all the cross references!
Not what I expected
To the point: this is an impressive novel by a highly talented writer. My only regret is that his other novels are not currently available via Kindle.
Difficult to follow, as the narrative jumps back and forth in time, and moves from person to person.
I ultimately gave it up half-way through — something I rarely do with a book.
After quite a few chapters, I gave up. It has interesting characters, but the the events take place in a number of different time periods in Newport, RI, and as the book is set up, the chapters alternate among the different time periods or centuries, Unless one attempts to read in one sitting, it becomes t
oo confusing..
The Maze at Windermere is thrilling. This novel restored my faith and made me laugh out loud. It’s rare that a novel comes along that is broad ranging, so very funny, profound, provocative, literary, and page-turning, and also word perfect. I went right back to the beginning when I’d finished, marveling again at the radiant mind of Gregory Blake Smith.
Great story. Love the way the author weaves together the plot.
Remarkable writing! Challenging for a while, until one sees the pattern to the book, which takes place in one location over a considerable time span. One of the best books I have read in years!