Thomas Van Der Hof

This book is, on the surface, a story of a young man, Jaan, that has lost his mother at an early age and has been raised by his uncle. His grandfather has maintained contact through letters and gifts. When Jaan turns eighteen, his grandfather sends him a final gift and asks him to journey to a remote island. It is an allegory about a young man’s journey to discover his identity. He benefits from mentorship along the way and attempts to find his internal compass. He encounters good and evil. He learns from his experiences. Jaan follows “the road less traveled” but wonders about the paths not taken. It is a story of decisions and ramifications, the difference between youth and age, and the journeys we make in life.

Overall, I liked it but also had several issues with it. This book has a fable-like quality about it. It exudes a quiet beauty and takes a bit of patience and reflection to read it. It is not fast-paced nor does it contain a significant amount of action. It contains beautifully descriptive language, probably a bit too much, and occasionally comes across a bit stilted and disjointed. Its message is indirect and will not be to everyone’s taste. If you enjoy lots of descriptive prose, magical realism, or books that offer deeper meanings, open to the reader’s individual interpretation, you may enjoy this book.

Above is my original review. Upon further reflection, I had these additional thoughts:
There is a ton of descriptive language, but oddly, it somehow fits the mood and tone of the book. It has an unpretentious dream-like quality to it. It's almost like an elder telling a story to a younger person about finding his path in life, about the meaning of it all. I think the author is somewhat inexperienced, and is not expressing himself succinctly. Perhaps this was intentional? I'm not sure, but I thought it could have been an amazingly profound novel with the right editor. I enjoyed it but thought it will take a discerning reader who is not in a hurry to fully enjoy it.

I received an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley in return for a candid review.… (meer)