1995
The Blue Flower
Penelope Fitzgerald · 1916–2000 · England
Why it matters
The young German Romantic poet Novalis falls in love with a twelve-year-old girl, rendered with uncanny period precision and total emotional restraint. Widely considered Fitzgerald's masterpiece, written in her late seventies.
At a glance
historical fictionromance
Difficulty 6/10slow pace240 pagesElliptical, fragmentary scenes assume familiarity with German Romanticism and its figures.
Where to go next
Penelope Fitzgerald · 1979OffshoreLvl 4Medium pace
William Trevor · 1983Fools of FortuneLvl 5Medium pace
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa · 1958The LeopardLvl 6Slow burn
Andrea Levy · 2004Small IslandLvl 4Medium pace
Maggie O'Farrell · 2020HamnetLvl 5Medium pace
Harry Mulisch · 1992The Discovery of HeavenLvl 6Medium pace