Review of 'Convention between the United States and Austria-Hungary.' on 'Storygraph'
3 stars
It's interesting, but ultimately it's too close to his other novels. Morgan's a damn good writer and so it's enjoyable, but there isn't much depth to the protagonist -- even knowing that he's defined by his genes, he's too much of a typical hardbitten tough guy to really step outside of his role.
In some ways, this is a book about gender roles; how the idea of masculinity shapes men (the Thirteens), the femininity of women (Bonobos), and how people live inside a role or a body defined for them. It's full of interesting ideas; it's almost a shame that the plot basically forces people into such predefined roles for them. I would have liked Carl to have become a painter.