Prince Otto, by Robert Louis Stevenson

I finished the book last week, and I am very happy I didn't give up on it. Slowly but surely, the story evolved into a subtle, sensitive, and touching tale. The absolutely beautiful imagery helped, for sure, but  it's obvious, too, that Stevenson put in some quality time in planning the understated and interesting twists and turns in the story. It turned out to be a tale about a husband and wife who discovered they were living artificial lives, and decided to completely remake themselves.