Jo Walton’s metafictional fantasy book, Or What You Will, was released in 2020. The narrative centres on Sylvia Harrison, a 73-year-old Canadian author with a lengthy career who is facing death. Her imaginary friend/inner narrator has both shaped and resided inside her creation. She has been creating fantasy novels, including a trilogy set in a city named Illyria, which is largely inspired by Renaissance Florence and Shakespeare’s imagined Italy.

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The narrator—her creative spark, in a way—becomes concerned as Sylvia approaches the end of her life because he fears that his life may also end when she passes away. He looks for ways to use fiction to make himself and Sylvia eternal. Parts of Sylvia’s current novel-in-progress, the fantasy Illyria setting, her life (past and present), and her thoughts on mortality, art, literature, artifice, Shakespeare, Renaissance Florence, and art are all interwoven throughout the story.

Meditation on Creativity and Mortality

The way Walton explores the meaning of being a creator, the pleasures and difficulties of creating characters, the closeness between the author and their imagined worlds, and what happens when life (and death) interferes is among the most compelling themes. What happens to your creative production when you are away? is the question posed by the novel. Can stories or characters live on after their author passes away? This contemplation has a very sensitive and genuine feel to it.

Richness of Artistic and Historical Detail

Readers who enjoy literature, art, history, Florence, the Renaissance, Shakespeare, and other subjects will find something to enjoy in this book. Walton makes extensive use of literary allusions, the imagined Italy of Shakespeare, and Florentine history (the art, architecture, and philosophy of the Renaissance). This gives the novel more depth and texture and gives it the feel like a love letter to those customs.

Emotional Resonance and Voice
Sylvia and her creative narrator have a close, occasionally odd, and occasionally unpleasant connection. Sylvia’s life is sensitively depicted, including her triumphs, setbacks, grief, abuse, and fear of dying. Playful metaphors and poignant moments are frequently made possible by the narrator’s voice. Because they feel rooted in human experience, this lends weight to the philosophical sections.

Formal/Genre Experimentation

The novel doesn’t remain in a single “mode.” It alternates between the historical and the fantastical, the past and the present. This can be challenging, but it also adds depth to the book by illustrating how stories are created, how they interact with life, and how they can attempt to outlive death. This is a powerful illustration for readers who are interested in metafiction and exploring the possibilities of a novel.

Density and Complexity
The pacing occasionally feels erratic due to the various layers (Sylvia’s life, the fictionalised Illyria realm, and literary/historical asides). Parts about art, history, or flashbacks may be slower or less emotionally compelling to certain readers than others.

Emotional Investment

Despite Sylvia’s captivating qualities, several reviewers felt a certain distance because there aren’t many internal monologues from Sylvia herself because the narrator mediates a large portion of her story. This makes it more difficult for certain readers to connect completely. It is believed that some of the fantastical and Illyrian figures are underdeveloped.
Conclusions and Expectations
Some readers have complained that some plot points aren’t fully explored or that the ending is abrupt. Given the novel’s many promises—such as immortality and the merging of the actual and imaginary worlds—some readers longed for additional resolution or growth in certain areas.
Effect on Originality
Here are some thoughts on how Or What You Will influences and encourages readers to think about creativity, both as a topic in the book and as something it might motivate them to do.

Creative Voice & Imagined Self
Sylvia’s inner creative spark, which serves as the narrator, is a literal representation of what many authors and creatives go through: the part of us that imagines possibilities and produces characters, scenarios, and ideas. Those who are curious about the origins of ideas, how characters “live” outside of ourselves, and how creators interact with their own inner lives may find inspiration in Walton’s externalisation of that, which gives it personality, conflicts, and desires.

Mortality & Legacy Through Art
Time, ageing, loss, and death are all prominent themes in this book. Being creative is presented as a means of preventing oblivion and creating something that endures. It may prompt the reader to consider what they are producing that could outlive them. What form does legacy take? It also examines the weaknesses, such as the fact that loss can be severe and that art is tied to the life of its creator. It’s not gloomy, though; the book makes the argument that creativity can persevere.

Interplay of Fact, Fiction, History, Imagination
Walton demonstrates how imagination and reality are intertwined: your life influences your work; the literary, artistic, and historical traditions you value inform your creations; fictional universes reflect historical events and vice versa. This can inspire a certain kind of artistic aspiration: sketch widely, incorporate your passions, blend genres, and push boundaries.

Experimentation & Risk
Walton takes chances: the book has an odd structure, it doesn’t present a nicely wrapped fantasy, and the various storylines aren’t evenly distributed for all readers. That very risk-taking serves as an example: being creative isn’t always safe; in order to do anything intriguing, one must occasionally tolerate irritation, ambiguity, and “loose ends.”

A Letter of Love to Place, Art, and Reading
This book can inspire or remind many readers of their passions for literature, art, history, cuisine, location, and sensory experiences. It demonstrates that creating art involves more than just large dramatic events; it also involves exploring Florence, dining, viewing paintings, remembering conversations, and appreciating the little things. Creatives may be inspired to focus on those elements in their own work as a result.

Or What You Will is not for everyone: some portions could feel slow or scattered if you like simple fantasy, linear narratives, or a strong external action arc. However, this work offers a lot of depth, a lot to think about, and a lot of emotional moments for readers who appreciate meditative, multi-layered fiction; who are curious about authorship, imagination, and mortality; and who appreciate art, history, and literary reference.
One of Walton’s more intimate works, it is not only a fantasy book but also a meditation on his life as a writer and what endures. Since it is art about art and doesn’t shy away from vulnerability, it could be viewed as particularly motivating for creatives.