The Stavros Manuscript

This is the kind of book that is hard to describe without spoilers, so I can't give away much of the plot!

The story follows Leonard Stavros, a talented linguist and cryptanalyst. At the start of the book, he is homeless and wakes up in a hotel room with a dodgy acquaintance named Ed, not remembering how they got there. Leonard previously suffered from mental health struggles and lost everything due to a nine-year obsessive attempt at deciphering the enigmatic Paisley Codex, a notoriously indecipherable Medieval book. Ed entangles Leonard in a plan to steal a book, which may or may not be the Codex which destroyed his life, from a dubious character known only as the Judge. Stavros experiences a series of events involving the book, and things take a turn when he encounters a mysterious waitress named Nina, who reminds him of his past.

The book covers many themes: codes and layers of meaning, reality, obsession, the subconscious and the complexity of the mind, but the aspect I found most interesting to ponder was the exploration of being a talented person, the extent to which their identity is built around their relationship to success, all the expectations that come with being known as talented, and the ensuing downfall if/when failure occurs to them.
The story moves fast, there are distinct settings and locations but it can feel a little chaotic to some readers. The narration feels floaty and surreal and is beautifully executed. The characters are interesting, some are explored deeper than others which makes sense, given the plot. Leonard, the protagonist comes across as a bit unlikeable with quite an ego but is an interesting character which is after all, what matters most.

From ancient books, foreign languages, and a surrealist, dreamlike setting with twists and unreliable narration, this book contains a lot of my favourite things in a work of fiction. It has stayed with me for days, I hugely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.