Book Review: "The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth" by William Boyd

William Boyd again. Yes, I am going through all the books I have not yet read by him. Recently, I recommended The Romantic to someone and I hope they read it because it has made its way on to my top 20 favourite books of all time. It is the most fantastic reading experience I have had in a long time. I trust William Boyd because his output is constantly good, his writing is constantly top tier and his plot lines are spectacularly simple with characters that have deep interpersonal stories. They are so everyday and yet, they are brilliantly philosophical.

The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth is a collection of short stories and a novella that delve into various aspects of human experience, particularly focusing on themes such as romantic entanglements, professional ambitions, existential isolation, and the often absurd challenges of modern life. It is yet another one of Boyd's incredible outputs and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In the story The Man Who Liked Kissing Women, Boyd explores the life of a serial philanderer who, despite his charm and apparent success with women, suffers from a deep emotional disconnect. The protagonist, a middle-aged man, finds himself in a cycle of brief romantic encounters, unable to sustain any meaningful relationship. Boyd uses this character to explore the consequences of infidelity and emotional detachment, presenting a sharp critique of male privilege and the superficiality of romantic conquest. The story oscillates between humor and sadness, showing the protagonist’s inability to face his own emotional emptiness. The ending to the story is absolutely brilliant and yet incredibly symbollic.

Another story I enjoyed was called The Road Not Taken. This story is a meditation on the theme of missed opportunities and the “what if” scenarios that haunt us all. The protagonist reflects on pivotal moments in their life where choices—both large and small—could have led to entirely different outcomes. Boyd paints a poignant picture of the nature of regret and the human tendency to romanticise lost possibilities. The narrative suggests that the roads we don’t take often carry a heavier emotional weight than the ones we do, leading to existential reflection on fate and free will. I liked this story because Meredith, one of the main characters, seems like she cannot hold her tongue sometimes but in her mind, can regret it. She's young and vibrant and also - clearly flawed.

Another great story in the anthology is The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth. The title novella is the heart of the collection, focusing on Bethany Mellmoth, a 24-year-old woman who is at a crossroads in her life. Bethany’s life is marked by indecision and fleeting passions—she dabbles in various careers like acting, photography, and writing, but none of them stick. Boyd captures the confusion and uncertainty of young adulthood, where the pressure to define one’s identity and path in life can be overwhelming. Bethany’s romantic life is similarly chaotic, characterised by brief affairs and relationships that lack emotional depth. It is a wonderful nod to the modern age in which emotional depth is often met with humour - Boyd turns this on its head and makes not having passion the heart of the irony in the text. It is brilliant.

Many of the stories in the collection deal with the theme of ambition, particularly in the creative and professional worlds. Boyd portrays characters who are driven to succeed, but often at the cost of their personal happiness. In stories like Humiliation and The Man Who Liked Kissing Women, the characters face the harsh realities of failure and the toll it takes on their identity. Boyd uses these stories to critique the modern obsession with success and the thin line between ambition and self-destruction. Again, this is so much like William Boyd and I love the way its written. It feels almost funny at times.

All in all, I found this book of short stories and novellas to be ironic, humorous, descriptive, brilliant and has the depth and meaning of a lot of Boyd's fiction (that I have read so far). I think you've probably had enough of me talking about William Boyd books but I think there may be some more to come around. At the moment, I am seriously enjoying them.