It's used judiciously and to make a point, but that didn't make me like it. And of course, I hated the bits of magical realism. in the end, it just all seems like one narrator even though it clearly is not. Henri's voice and Villanelle's are really quite similar. Where I think she falters in this book is voice. She's intrigued me - from Henri's job preparing endless chicken for Napoleon to Villanelle's cross dressing to another soldier's extreme long distance vision - she draws the reader in. She can go very, very dark with a scene or a line, and you feel yourself gasping at the thought. Her imagery and lyrical use of language is very, very original and interesting. Winterson does some very interesting things with her writing. Both characters narrate the story and their lives end up intertwining in a way that leaves one character decimated (I won't spoil it by indicating which one).
The story follows Henri, a French young man who enlists in Napoleon's army, and Villanelle, an Italian woman who works in the casino. It's actually better done, more interesting, and more engaging, but it shares that fantastical quality that I truly dislike. If you like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, read this book.
There is no doubt in my mind that this book deserves at least four stars despite the fact that it was soooooo not my thing.
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