Author: Erin Morgenstern
Series: None
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 512
Obtained: Purchased
Genre: Magic Realism, Fantasy, Fables
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Phenomenal novel about magical libraries and finding your people Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Summary: Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life. ~amazon.com
Review: I don't usually say I'll re-read a book but I'm pretty sure at some point in the nearish future I will pick this one up again. I feel like there are so many layers to Ms. Morgenstern's latest that I want to revisit and pick up on nuances that I didn't the first time. It is complex and yet there is definitely a feel of whimsy throughout the book without it being too cute.
The Starless Sea is a quintessential novel about good vs. evil but those playing a role in that are not always easily distinguished and at some point in time might have been on the other side. It is about finding yourself and finding your meaning in life or who you are meant to be. Zachary Ezra Rawlins is the catalyst for which the ancient library opens but not without it's issues because Zachary has to figure out what is real and who he can trust. Who is there to destroy the library and who is there to protect it?
Ms. Morgensterns writing is so gorgeous that I found myself imaging this beautiful and ancient library. I could vividly picture all the details she described. Can you imagine finding a book that really does transport you to a world you've only imagined? I know as readers we believe that every book takes you somewhere but what if there was a book written just for you? Like there was part of your life written in the pages that only you experienced? This is Zachary's way into a world that he's been missing his whole life.
Don't be scared about the size of the book or the slow pace (at first) because it is so beautiful, meaningful and magical. I know my words can't do Ms. Morgenstern's justice but I finished this book 2 weeks ago and it is still with me. It's also why it took me a bit to do a review because I wasn't sure I would do it justice.
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