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The Maze at Windermere by Gregory Blake Smith - 4* - My Review

This is a most unusual novel that alternates among five different historical narratives spanning more than 300 years, all set in Newport, Rhode Island. The author explores how people are shaped by their era while human nature remains consistent across history. The five stories are related thematically. The time periods include:

2011 – A professional tennis player with declining skills is navigating relationships with three women. He does not seem to know what he believes, and his morally ambiguous behavior causes trouble for himself and the women.

1896 – In the Gilded Age, a gay man is considering marriage to a wealthy widow. He struggles with guilt over such a marriage might mean for his intended.

1863 – Set during the American Civil War, this segment is based on the life of author Henry James. Characters in the modern story often reference his novels.

1778 – A British officer, billeted in Newport during the American Revolution, develops an obsession with a Portuguese Jewish woman, and a hatred for her father.

1692 – A fifteen-year-old Quaker girl is caring for her toddler sister after her parents died. She develops a plan to avoid marriage to a much older man.

I really liked the concept of following five historic periods set in a singular location, but I did not love the structure of rotating periods. I would have preferred five back-to-back novellas. The breaking up of the five storylines into pieces requires lots of mental gymnastics to remember the status of each one, and there are many characters and sub-plots to track. Having said that, I believe the author is trying to create the sense of navigating a maze, with an initial feeling of disorientation and slower pace, followed by getting acclimated and gradually speeding up. Toward the end, the storylines get compressed, in a manner similar to a maze-walker approaching the center.

My favorite of the five is the modern story, with our morally confused tennis player trying to figure out if he truly loves one of the women he is dating. I also very much enjoyed the 1896 story featuring a gay man coping with a society in which he feels he must conceal his identity behind marriage and grappling with the ethics of doing so. The 1863 historical fiction based on the life of author Henry James is also a highlight. I am not a big fan of the two earliest stories, though I understand why the author included them. I found myself wanting to quickly get through the 1778 and 1692 segments to get back to the three I was most enjoying. The author’s ability to capture the voice and tone of different historical periods is one of the novel’s most impressive features. I admire the creativity and will be investigating the author’s back catalogue.

PBT September BWF Extra S - fits letter not tag

It sounds a bit like Cloud Atlas, thought that one was "nested" stories, like 123454321, where this one switches back and forth more. I like experimental ways of writing, so I added it to my TBR. But I see some people didn't like the format.

The format takes some getting used to, but once I got into the groove, I ended up liking the book very much. I also enjoyed Cloud Atlas. It's somewhat similar but the stories are much more separate in The Maze at Windermere.

Interesting and sounds like something I could really get into. I've added it to my TBR.

I will be interested to see what you think of it.