Mark Sarvas is known for his popular literary blog The Elegant Variation. His debut novel Harry, Revised is also another achievement. The main character Harry is a broken man with a strained marriage. His wife’s upper class parents and her suspected embarrassment of Harry is a constant bone of contention. But the unexpected happens and Harry is left numb. With Edmund Dantes as his guide Harry attempts to remake himself into the man he never was.

Sarvas’ narrative is smooth and compelling, the humor endearing and adept. Harry, Revised is a tragic love story portraying the unchangeable consequences of wrong choices. It’s viscerally poignant and heartbreaking and is a model for the use of tragedy and comedy as well as the damaged hero.