Logan Mountstuart, student, novelist, husband, father, spy, prisoner, old man. This is his story written in diary form and spanning most of the 20th century. It took me a while to get used to the diary format but after a while Logan's extraordinary life grows increasingly compelling. The clever thing about this novel is the way in which Boyd mixes historical fact with fiction and possibly drawing on his own life experiences as well. Logan travels the world to exotic places and meets some of the most famous artists, writers and figures in history, as well as experiencing the ups and downs of a long lived life. Although some parts dragged on a bit for me overall this is a really good novel with a particularly poignant ending.
