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I finished The Last of the Wine a few months ago and immediately grabbed all of Renault's Theseus and Alexander books for my read pile just based on the strengths of her first novel. Not to go off topic, but another book in a similar vein that I enjoyed immensely is Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles. While Song of Achilles obviously tries to convey the mythological as much as the historical, the two books have heartfelt and well-written gay relationships as a common thread. I read it shortly after The Last of the Wine and it compares favorably with it.Hieronymous Alloy posted:Is having Socrates in a novel weird or cool, and does she pull it off or not? Nevermind Socrates for a moment, let's talk about her depiction of Alcibiades, who is considered either a craven traitor or heroic savior depending on what contemporary account or historical record you read. His turn in The Last of the Wine as a mostly competent military man who is a little too in love with accolades tries to balance out and explain his two-faced reputation in history. When he faces what he believes to be the unfair censure of a fickle people, Athenian unfaithfulness is given as the reason for his defection. When he is back on the side of Athens, he sometimes puts his desire for personal glory ahead of all other things. I think the book offers an illuminating glimpse into what made him such a great ally (and conversely, such a terrible enemy) to have. You can easily see how a man who is unwilling to be anyone's dog would rack up so many enemies. While not altogether sympathetic, Renault's treatment of Alcibiades is at least understandable on a human level.
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Jul 6, 2014 00:42
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 14:48 |
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