Book Review: The Thousand Deaths of Romeo and Juliet - Caroline Finch

The thing about Romeo and Juliet is that it is a true story. It isn't literally true, but it is literary true. We see the same motif repeated throughout all cultures and all times. Caroline Lea (writing as Caroline Finch) asks an important question - what if every pair of star-cross'd lovers were reincarnations of the original Verona duo?

The essence of tragedy is that the end is unavoidable. You've probably watched Romeo sup poison a hundred times. It is inevitable that Juliet will take her own life in response. Horrific! Yet, not only do you refuse to look away, you gleefully seek it out for another viewing. There's a reason why Tony and Maria cannot escape their destinies in West Side Story - something more than fate is pushing them onto a path that will accept no deviation. The only way through is, of course, death.

The Thousand Deaths starts slowly - the first "act" felt like an excuse to retell the classic tale in a new setting. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and it is suffused with lovely writing - but it felt a bit "so what?"

And then they die.

As the acts progress and they get closer to the their thousandth death the pace picks up. The writing is absolutely gorgeous, packed with allusions and references for the careful reader (more on that later). The story is heartbreaking - as well you know - and the author has the perfect knack of keeping her characters on just the right side of histrionics.

I'd sort of classify this as almost romantasy. There's an undercurrent of sci-fi and fantasy which can't be ignored - but you can also hear the stirring of the violins in the background. Our hero and heroine come together and are violently broken apart for our insatiable entertainment. Do we care about whether that's good for them? What does it feel like to be a Mercutio forever used as a pawn-sacrifice? Does Tybalt resent his forcible reincarnation into a perpetual baddie? Are we culpable for insisting that they strut upon an endless stage just so we can wipe tears from our eyes?

The book builds to a fine crescendo. It is heartfelt and utterly tragic. The ending will, I suspect, divide people. I found it mostly satisfactory and completely in keeping with the rest of the story.

One final thing - the end notes are superb. They go through all the references you might have missed, explain where certain phrases came from, and point the curious reader to the books which were an inspiration. Too many authors treat their literary allusions as a precious puzzle and jealously guard them. I'm delighted that Caroline Finch is generous enough to share her secrets with us.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The book will be released in 2027 - I strongly recommend putting it on your pre-order list.