The Romantic is a life story sweeping through the first half of the nineteenth century, the post-Napoleonic epoch of passionate, idealistic romanticism and the elevation of the spirit over matter.

The hero, Cashel Greville Ross is indeed a spirited young man and the very embodiment of a true romantic. An illegitimate son of an Anglo-Irish baronet, he rebels against his parents and the lies they have spun him and joins the army as a fourteen-year-old lad to experience the brutality of war first-hand and to witness the death of his friend. Cashel hurtles from being a hero to narrowly escaping a court martial as he takes the high moral ground in Sri Lanka and refuses to follow orders. In Pisa, he rubs shoulders with the greatest romantic poets, Byron and Shelley, and somehow manages to bring them down a peg or two for he is the real deal and they are just wishful thinkers and thrill-seekers. The life of peril, love gained and lost, adventure and misadventure continues in this captivating epic tale spanning continents and cultures.

I found Boyd’s writing smooth and utterly immersive. It drew me into Cashel’s story and wrapped itself around me and kept me turning pages and marvelling at the mystery and unpredictability of man’s heart and fate.

With all William Boyd novels, you know to expect compelling protagonists, brilliant writing and clever touches and The Romantic is no exception.

We follow Cashel Ross through the length of his long and eventful life as he crosses the globe, taking part in renowned events such as Waterloo and the search for the source of the Nile and meets historical figures such as Lord Byron and the Shellys.

Cashel remains a likeable character throughout, despite often acting reprehensibly, loving and leaving and breaking every promise he ever makes.

Having read lots of Boyd’s novels, I think that you will have a preferred type: his plot-driven novels or his character-driven ones. I fall into the former category and found the pacing of this a bit too slow, though an enjoyable yarn.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher, Penguin General, UK for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book is possibly the book I have most enjoyed reading this year. It is a whole of life story about a boy born in Cork, Ireland and his 80 odd year life through the nineteenth century. He seems to have been ideally placed for all historic moments that happened and met loads of iconic people. But that is what I loved about it, we got a snippet from loads of different moments. He brings us to loads of different countries. I loved the way we were brought from one chapter of his life to the next - he seemed to move from one life to the next with haste. At the end we are told there is an unrequited love - you don't really hear from the protagonist, so I was surprised with this at the end. This is one of those books that you know is going to have a lot in it, so deserved your concentration, but as reward I got pure joy from delving into each chapter and enjoyed the wild ride of a life that Cashel had.
I read an ARC from @netgalley, with thanks to @PenguinUKBooks @VikingBooksUK

Thank you so much, NetGalley for giving me opportunity of reviewing this book.

I absolutely loved it from the moment I read the first line. It was a wonderful story, full of interesting and believable characters and did not flag the whole time I was reading it. I recommended it to my book club and they are all reading it now so it will be interesting to hear their reviews. It was certainly William Boyd at his best. What a beautifully written and well put together book.

The story of the long long life of Castle Granville Ross spanning from 1799 until his death in 1882 this novel is quite an epic. What a life Cashel leads – we discover him at the Battle of Waterloo, we follow his friendship with Shelley and Byron, his farming and brewing exploits in America, his exploration in Africa trying to discover the origin of the Nile and then his time spent as a consul in Austria. But above and beyond all of this is his love of one woman, Rafaela who just he can’t forget . Cashel is a likeable character who is often driven by his heart rather than by his head which results in him getting into many difficult situations during his lifetime. I enjoyed this book with its family saga but also its use of real historical events. A book to savour and not to rush. Many thanks to Netgalley , the publisher and the author for giving me the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review

Another wonderful tale from William Boyd. If you loved his ‘Any Human Heart’, you’ll love this too. He tells the life story of Cashel, from his early years right through to old age. This piece of fictional work reads like an autobiography, especially where it mingles with real life events and people. It follows his wins (his fortunes as well as his loves) and his losses as he becomes a soldier, a writer and brewer (to name just a few of his accomplishments) Cashel, at heart a true romantic, lives a full life which is beautifully captured and penned.

Cashel Greville Ross, the hero of William Boyd’s new novel "The Romantic", is a man whose path through life changes direction many times. Born in Ireland in 1799, he lives through some of the major events of the 19th century and becomes a soldier, a writer, a farmer and an explorer – though not all at the same time. He is present on the battlefield of Waterloo, befriends Byron and Shelley in Pisa and travels through Africa in search of the source of the Nile.

Cashel is not a real person, of course, although Boyd does his best to convince us that he is. The book is presented as a biography, complete with footnotes, pieced together from a bundle of letters, notes, maps and photographs which apparently fell into Boyd’s hands several years ago. It’s not a new idea, but it’s very cleverly done here and I can almost guarantee that you’ll be googling things to see if they’re true, even while knowing that they can’t possibly be!

"The Romantic" is a long novel, but I read most of it in one weekend because it was so gripping I couldn’t bear to put it down. Although the story never becomes bogged down with historical or geographical detail, it’s still completely immersive and I loved every minute I spent in Cashel’s world. His life story unfolds in a series of distinct episodes and I found each one equally compelling: his childhood in County Cork and the uncovering of family secrets; a journey across Italy in order to write a book about his travels; a moral dilemma faced in a Sri Lankan village while fighting with the Indian Army…these are just a few of Cashel’s adventures and there are many more which I’ll leave you to discover for yourself.

Cashel himself is a likeable character, but also a flawed one. As the title suggests, he’s hopelessly romantic; as a young man, his own proud and impulsive nature ruins his chance of happiness with the woman he loves and this sets the tone for the rest of the novel and the rest of his life, as he continually moves from country to country, continent to continent, unable to put this missed opportunity behind him and settle down. His naivety makes him vulnerable and he is repeatedly taken advantage of, suffering a series of injustices and at one point ending up in the Marshalsea Prison for debt, but he never seems to learn from his mistakes, falling into the same traps over and over again. It’s frustrating, but it’s also what kept me turning the pages, desperate to see how Cashel would get out of the latest predicament he had found himself in!

This is one of my books of the year without a doubt and I’m sorry that I’ve never read any William Boyd before.

The Romantic tells the life story of Cashel Greville Ross who begins his days in scenic rural Co Cork in 1799 where his mother works as a tutor to a rich family and of course, there is a reveal about his father which changes his idyllic life. He travels to London and somehow ends up signing up for the East Indian Army and fighting in Sri Lanka where his questions his ethics and those of his fellow officers.
He travels the world and ends up at one stage with the Romantic poets in Pisa, Italy. Is Boyd teasing us with the title- the romantic? The characters are placed in significant historical events and the novel covers several continents. It is a novel that requires you to suspend your belief and enjoy the journey.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful well-written excellently crafted book. A classic on the classics. Recommended.

I've read pretty much everything William Boyd has written, good and bad, and I think he's the only author to get a fiction book on a decidedly non-fiction reading list with The New Confessions (for my film MA). And The Romantic is very much in the style of the New Confessions, a way of telling a story of a century through fiction biography, albeit of someone who intersects with real people and real history. In this mode, Boyd is able to draw with a big canvas, here almost telling a new short story in a new locale every chapter. Here his lead character is Cashel Greville Ross, who in course of a long life fights at Waterloo, hangs out with Shelley and Byron, writes his own novel of his own doomed love, ends up in jail, then off to make a new life in America. And it all flows effortlessly from namedrop to namedrop without ever feeling clunky.

Boyd's secret sauce in these kinds of books is making the fictional characters - particularly the lead - weirdly specific in their own right. The narrative flexes required to send him to the front, and jail, and even his late stage flirtation with being a dodgy South American ambassador, are all sewn in the pages before. What is even more impressive here is that Boyd manages to give his lead a moral core which is often hard to do - particularly when a character is ensconced in the British Empire (it is notable that Ross doesn't really get very involved with nationalistic enterprise - except perhaps trying to find the source of the Nile - did I mention that?) Boyd is also very keen on love underpinning everything, and the title of the book has a deliberate double meaning in that case, leading to a pleasingly heart-breaking ending.

This is a real return to form for Boyd, perhaps by escaping modernity he has been able to settle into his stronger qualities. This is an impressively page-turning picaresque novel, which I think deliberately takes on trappings of the form for comfort (Ross even picks up his own Sancho Panza). There are flaws too, mainly which come with the form - some chapters take place over weeks, whilst there are chunky time jumps to get to the requisite time period to intersect with history. At its heart, it is a fun romp with a compelling lead character and plenty of name drops and weird bits of history to make the reader feel clever for their own bits of knowledge it then fleshes out. A return to form!

Another wonderful story from William Boyd - he writes with astonishing skill, flow and characterisation that no matter what the story, he will turn it into something extraordinary. This is the fictional story of the whole life of Cashel Greville Ross, born in 1799. He is an extraordinary man, living an extraordinary life. Even if it does occasionally step into the realms of the unbelievable, it doesn’t matter, as the writing is so wonderful. The book takes the reader on a tour of the places and events that matter most in 19th century Britain, Ireland and Europe, with every character and every setting real and almost visible to the reader - that takes huge skill and this is a book to be savoured, enjoyed and recommended.

'The Romantic' by William Boyd is the fictional biography of Cashel Greville - Gentleman's son, soldier, prisoner, writer, pioneer, farmer, debtor explorer.

Sometimes swept along by circumstance and sometimes embracing life and all it brings his way, Cashel and his misadventures keep us on our toes. He has a tendency to run when life gets tough and though he seems to always be moving foward as he reinvents himself with each twist and turn he also carries regret and a yearning for his lost love on the journey.

Cashel's life takes him from Cork to Oxford, to India and Europe, to America and Africa and it intersects with true events and historical figures such as Byron and Shelly and Speke. It makes for a rare romp through the 1800s which is funny, sad and at times incredible. I was rooting for Cashel all the way. He is warm hearted, a great Romantic and a man you want to succeed.

Once again William Boyd has gifted us a wonderful character and a wonderful story of a live lived well.

Thank you to @netgalley and @viking for the ARC of this fabulous book.

This was a wonderfully crafted cradle to grave story of Cashel Greville Ross. Written as a fictional biography Boyd weaves in true historical events and people giving us a insightful sweep into 19th century life spanning many countries and continents. I enjoyed reading about Ross as a character and all of his adventures and relationships. A great immersive story.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

An entertaining tale of an impetuous man in the 1800's. On discovering that his family life was not as it seemed he sets off on one adventure after another. Spanning India, London and Africa to name just a few destinations. What an exciting life driven by decisions taken on a whim.

A journey all over the world and an overview of the story of XIX century, this the biography of a character but it's also a brilliant story of places and events.
The author is a master storyteller and I loved the vivid historical background and the description of the places.
Compelling and riveting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the fictional biography of Casher Grenville Ross born in 1799.
His life takes him from County Cork through Europe and the Americas.
This is a beautifully written and crafted novel with meticulous research. Once past the first few pages I was hooked. The storyline was compelling and the intricate characters pulled me further into the book.
It is always a treat to find a new author but it is even better to find a new book by a favourite author.

I believe William Boyd is one of the best contemporary authors and his talent as a storyteller is remarkable. The Romantic is Boyd on best form; an engrossing tale packed with characters and adventures that take the reader literally into unknown lands.

It’s a physical and metaphysical journey as the central character travels the world and develops as a man, spiritually and morally. It’s adventures within an adventure as he moves from one diverse location to another, facing different challenges along the way. It’s packed with historic detail and I was swept along by a beautifully written and very clever tale. For me, this book has the same magic as Any Human Heart. Its huge in scope and Boyd teases the reader in the same way. Step into this narrative and travel with Cashel; it’s a mind twisting journey and never disappoints. I loved it and will read it again as there’s so much to take in.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

William Boyd is one of my go-to authors, I feel he will never disappoint - and again he's turned out another brilliant story.

Set in the early 19th century, this is the story of the journey of Cashel Greville Ross.

It's a geographical journey - travelling the world and encountering its colours and characters; a physical journey through boyhood to life as a man and father; an emotional journey as he experiences love, heartbreak, and skirmishes with criminality.

Above all this is just a great story, packed full of inspiring characters and places. I've not read such a good story for a long time.

The Romantic is a grand sweep of a novel. It follows the astonishing life of Cashel Grenville Ross from his birth in 1799.
Brought up as a the orphaned nephew of a governess to a wealthy Irish family, Cashel soon realises that his birth story is fiction. This propels him into a life roaming and adventuring around the world. He survives Waterloo, spends summer with Shelley and Byron in Pisa and finds the love of his life in Ravenna. Nothing every quite works out for Cashel as he follows his heart, and his instincts, around the world in search of a satisfying and financially rewarding life. Often running away from a precarious situation, he somehow manages to find safety and prosperity in the most unlikely places. For much of the book he is accompanied by his faithful man servant Ignatz, more family to him than anyone else.
The Romantic takes a little while to get into but once you are truly in Cashel’s world, it doesn’t let go. It is a wonderful, absorbing book, obviously beautifully written and researched, this is William Boyd after all! I’ll be thinking about this astonishing book for a long time. Thank you to #netgalley and #penguinukbooks for allowing me to review this ARC

The Romantic
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5 stars

In his new novel, Boyd presents a detailed panorama of the nineteenth century. The Romantic is a fictional biography of Cashel Greville Ross, following his life from County Cork, through Oxford, India, Italy, America and Zanzibar. Cashel leads a busy life and tries everything that a gentleman of his period could try— he is a soldier fighting at Waterloo and in India, a writer who spends a summer with Lord Byron and the Shellys, a lover, a prisoner, a farmer or an explorer...

The Romantic is a well-written historical fiction. It gives a very intimate picture of the nineteenth century, focusing only on an individual life. There are no long, dull or overwhelming descriptions of history, politics or economy in this book. It focuses entirely on the life of the main character, even in the face of important events, like the battle of Waterloo. Which is why I believe this book to be a perfect read, even for those who usually avoid historical fiction.

My review:
https://abookishdaydream.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/the-romantic/