Frieze

Frieze takes us into the mind of the Buddhist from India who designed and built the famous temple at Borubudur. This means the setting is circa 700 A.D., but the book doesn't read like a historical novel. Instead, it's a poetic attempt to recreate the designer's mind and aesthetics by looking at the great monument he left behind. One feels privileged to discover the workings of a great artistic mind, and it's done in tight, elegant, and lyrical language. It's got certain qualities that make me compare it, for style, lyricism, and great feeling, with Martín Cruz Smith's Stallion Gate. It's not an easy read,and it's not for everybody, but it's one book I wish I had written.