I read this book while traveling through Belgium. At first, I felt the narrator‘s voice was intruding too much, but I came to believe I was in the hands of a talented writer whose choices I could trust. It‘s the story of a young man and artist and his experiences during WW1. The first section and third section are told by his grandson, and the middle section is narrated by the main character and tell the story of the war in Belgium.

I liked the idea of the book, and parts of it were very intriguing. I found myself drifting in and out of interest, though, and the characters were not that distinctive, more roles to move the plot forward. It felt like the uncovering of the rules of this world WAS the story, rather than a framework for a story.