3.5 stars—a lack of plot and a sometimes confusing structure still can’t eclipse the beauty of Valente’s writing. Perhaps I needed more knowledge of the Prester John myth, but a good writer will lead even ignorant readers along a bit better than Valente does here. Definitely worth a look for Valente completists, and full of gorgeous language, but more forgettable than much of this author’s other books.

[b:The Habitation of the Blessed|8144399|The Habitation of the Blessed (A Dirge for Prester John, #1)|Catherynne M. Valente|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1283556269s/8144399.jpg|12942786] is a complex work full of rich language and many themes.

The book consists of four interwoven storylines. In one, a Byzantine monk confesses his "sins" of thought and deed during the transcribing of the other three. The three books he plucks from a miraculous tree are an autobiography of Prester John, another of his wife, and a collection of stories told to the children of an ancient queen of Prester John's country.

It's difficult to decide what to mention without ruining surprises for other readers. The three storylines from the tree intertwine considerably. Some of the same events are witnessed by the authors, and the storybook contains tales that forewarn us what the subjects of the other two tomes have coming to them.

The book is full of the poetic language and keen observation I expect from Ms. Valente's work. In HotB, she has not yet found that balance between beauty and accessibility that she struck so well in [b:Deathless|7787987|Deathless|Catherynne M. Valente|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1290458486s/7787987.jpg|10733651], but the text isn't truly difficult, either.

Students of classical or Medieval history will recognize themes, myths, legends and fantastic creatures. The historical (and legendary) structure around the Letter of Prester John makes an excellent framework from which to hang this novel's themes.

I do love a good delve into the vast strangeness of early Christian lore. Mixed with Greek philosophy and mythology, wrapped in Hebrew lore, this is a heady work of fiction. It is fantasy, in the strictest sense, but the weight of it feels almost true - like historical magical realism. I look forward to the second book!

Became more engaging as the separate story lines began to coalesce. You need to be willing to hold on to things for a while and trust that the apparently different stories really will come together.

I never became fully immersed in John's version of Wonderland.

Nope! I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed reading the unabridged version of Beowolf in the middle of summer in a moldy non air conditioned classroom in 11th grade. Not a fan! Not impressed. Not going to revisit this again.

This book is absolutely gorgeous. Just breathtakingly beautiful.

Really amazing. I agree with whoever said that this book rings a little familiarly with The Orphan's Tales. Except it's more relaxed in that it doesn't go five framed narratives deep XD

I genuinely love Catherynne M. Valente's work, and The Habitation of the Blessed is just as dense, twisting, and metatextual as many of her other books.