The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love reading books by this author. Her writing is so beautiful. I’m not a very big fan of long descriptions of places, but for some reason, this author can transport me to these gorgeous settings perfectly, without leaving me feeling bogged down in the writing.
This is a book about stories. It follows a man named Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a grad student who finds a book without any publication information while perusing his university library. While reading this book, he finds a scene from his own life written in one of the chapters, down to the detail. His further investigation leads him on an epic journey to a hidden world of stories.
The book also includes stories from the books mentioned in the main plot. And all of these stories are somehow connected to this hidden world. There are stories of love and loss, of losing and finding, of coming together under a single cause and being pulled apart again. All wrapped up in these beautiful scenes.
Anyone of the characters could have their own book. It was amazing to see it all intertwine together.

I don’t remember profanity playing a significant part in the book. There is some sexual content, but it is mostly implied and poetic – there is a lot of symbolism. Both heterosexual and homosexual relationships are included in the book, the main protagonist is gay, but I really liked the way the author approached all of the love – as more than just an impulsive act, but more like a slow burn from camaraderie and compassion to something more. There is also violence in the book, but, again, it is smoothed out by the lyrical and poetic writing.

Morgenstern is definitely in the top 5 of my favorite authors. I look forward to seeing what she will write next!