A descent into the hearts of the unhappy.

When a private Monégasque banker discovers a mysterious journal at a bookstore, he ascends the spiralling staircase of the writer's cavernous mind. A philosophical journey of existential discovery, Neil Meyollner begins to reflect on his monotonous life and contemplates embracing the changes and theories that cued the journal's provocative existence.

The Romantic and The Vile follows two parallel timelines; Neil's search for the enigmatic writer Raphael, and Raphael's life as he fills the journal with various meaningful moments he is desperate to hold on to. Once Neil recognizes how easy it can be to alter your perception of the world and pursue the things that can make him happy, he begins to question why he had never sought to pursue the things Raphael has found meaningful. Why did he marry his wife, who he suspects is having an affair; why does he perpetuate the treacherous friendship he has with his partner? Raphael however, does not have all the answers, and begins to get drawn into a deep conspiracy with an international bank that has him attempting to outwit their agents. The more Neil reads the journal, the more he wonders what kind of man Raphael was and how he lived with the anguish of his unrequited love.

Neil's pursuit takes a surprising turn when a professor of literature agrees to help him track Raphael down and analyze the entries in the journal. He finally begins to unravel and read between the lines of the journal in order to find out the real truth behind Raphael's life.

About The Author:

Bruce Crown is the author of the bestselling How Dim the Promised Land. A University of Toronto alumnus, he has written for Copenhagen’s University Post, The Creative Café, In Form, and other newspapers and magazines. He lives in Toronto and Copenhagen. Follow him on twitter at @BruceCrown, and on Goodreads.

Product Details:

Hardcover: 238 pages
Publisher: Vintage Copenhagen Publications (August 21, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780995849228
ISBN-13: 978-0995849228
ASIN: 0995849226