Not sure if it's really a "review" of Winter's Tale so much as an inquiry into what makes good writing. But, having said that, I agree that my recitation of the book's plot may seem overly harsh or critical. To some extent, I think this is an issue of personal taste. I generally don't like, as a matter of personal taste, things that some might call "period pieces" or things that some might call "fantasy". But I loved Winter's Tale. And my impression is that this is because of the way it is written. I think if you stripped down the story of Winter's Tale to it's basic plot points, and tried to re-write it, 99 out of 100 times you would end up with something, at best, familiar, and at worst, silly. But what makes the story so exceptional, powerful, and, to use your word, majestic, is because of the way it's written. That's my impression at least. Thanks for the comment. - Steve