Instruct: Classify the given review into positive or negative sentiment.
Query: An intelligent and witty view of nature, beauty, and war

Frankly, when I picked this book off the shelf, I thought I was getting a war thriller, or something. I was taken from the beginning, however by the character of Alessandro, his view of the world, and his various adventures. I measure a book's worth by how many passages I take the time to underline and review later, and this one sets a record for me. I wanted it to go on and on, like a Fellini movie, and was sad when it ended. Everything works in this book, and even the allegorical characters (i.e., Orfeo) are tolerable. This is not a book for casual readers, and you must expect to "do a little work" in getting to the essence, but it is well worth it.