by C. P. Snow
First published 1947
Roy Calvert sits in his Cambridge college room, translating medieval texts with extraordinary skill while battling the depression that threatens to consume him. His friend Lewis Eliot watches as Roy's academic brilliance illuminates ancient manuscripts even as his inner turmoil grows more severe. Roy finds temporary solace in his scholarly work and his relationships with colleagues, but the weight of his psychological suffering proves relentless. As World War II approaches, Roy faces a choice between the safety of his academic life and the dangerous call of military service. His decision reflects his ongoing struggle with the competing forces within him. The story explores how a man of exceptional intellectual gifts confronts the darkness of his own mind while those who care about him struggle to help.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, academic
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, internal-conflict
Setting: Cambridge
Period: World War II
352 pages · Hardcover · Macmillan
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness