Books like The Chymical Wedding

I read this last December and enjoyed it immensely. It had been recommended to me twenty years ago, and finally I have been able to get to it. I could easily give it five stars, but then I would be only thinking of myself. Truth is, Clarke is a bit verbose for some tastes. And though I prefer more minimalist, direct prose, and was not bothered by his syntactic style, I can see how others might be. There are also some sections, especially toward the denouement of the story where the characters wax too long in mystical ruminations. Yet the climax of the story is well worth the build up, a real mind-blower! That being said, my criticisms are minor and it is with reluctance that I give it four rather than five stars. If you enjoy somber, reflective Brit lit, and especially if you have an interest in pre-Christian Anglo-Celtic mythology and medieval alchemy (I fall into the middle category), then you'll appreciate The Chymical Wedding. Clarke has really done his homework in all of these areas and writes naturally of them without being cumbersome.