I cannot lie that the spine of this book is precisely what drew my attention to it. I have never been “ashamed” that I judge books by their covers – that is to say, I buy books based on their covers. Once read, the cover has little to do with my opinion, though I may make commentary on the appropriateness of it. I also cannot say that I am usually disappointed by my selection; books that look like [old] books are generally about books, or other literary things, and I tend to enjoy those. The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox was no exception.

This is one of those books you’ll want to set aside some time to read, not only because it’s very long, but because it’s so extremely well written that you won’t want to set it down. Ever. Not even to work. Not even to do daily tasks. I found myself carrying this book around with me everywhere I went, bumping into things and people on the way. Unsmartly, I read while waiting for red lights to turn. When I was out of the house, I visited bookstores just to pile through a chapter or two while I had some time to spare (a book of this size would not fit in the purse I was carrying around this month). Rarely does a book capture me so much as to distract me from everything, but this book did. I wanted to know about Edward, his motivations, why he killed the red-haired man and then went for oysters (this is not a spoiler; it’s the first line in the book).

Edward Glyver has a passion for vengeance. He wants what is rightfully his, and feels the only way to get this is to assassinate celebrated writer Phoebus Daunt. Daunt, a young man from Edward’s school days, usurped Edward in all of his ambitions – schooling, a particular woman, inheretence, and happiness – and Edward is determined to get back what is rightfully his. The Meaning of Night, pieced together from a handwritten account of the murderer’s confession, takes the reader through Edward’s history.

Both Glyver and Daunt are a healthy mixture of good and evil, making it difficult to find one to “root” for. If you enjoy books with a clear-cut hero and villian, this is not the book for you. Constantly throughout my reading of this book, I found myself changing “sides,” one moment hoping that Glyver succeeded, the next wishing he would fail. It is written entirely from his perspective, being his confession, and thus is unreliable; sometimes the reader must draw conclusions of her own assuming the dimensions of the other characters.

Despite the 700-page length of this book, the plot never slows and the reader never gets bored. There is ever a twist or new character to dwell upon, though no character is introduced aimlessly; everything connects. Set in Victorian England, it is clear that Cox has a comprehensive grasp of the setting; the reader easily slips into the environment (sometimes having trouble readjusting to life outside…). I have read that this book is not unlike Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke, though I can’t confirm this as I haven’t read it, though it is reminiscient of Dickens.

Extraordinarily well-written and engulfing, The Meaning of Night quickly became a favorite. I would recommend it to anyone in need of an involved, complex plot.