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omarickman's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Very meh. Interesting enough while reading it but forgettable enough to not want to pick it up and continue reading. Less about the relationship between Aristotle and Alexander and more just about Aristotle.
ubalstecha's review against another edition
Author Annabel Lyon gives us an interesting look at life in ancient Macedonia in her novel The Golden Mean. Telling the story of the time Aristotle spent tutoring Alexander the Great, she gives us an intellectual who is clearly smarter than most and, therefor, slightly withdrawn from the world. Lyon has peppered this novel with tidbits about both the way in which the Greeks lived and what they believed in, while giving us some interesting characters.
And it is with the characters that this novel shines, as it is really low on plot. Although this book purports to be a fictionalization about the student/teacher relationship between Alexander and Aristotle, it is far more about Aristotle. Cast as the absent minded professor who seeks to place the world into the order he believes, it is through his eyes we see what action there is. We are also treated to flashbacks to various points in his life. All other characters are also seen through Aristotle's eyes. His long suffering wife, Pythia, is a child-bride who puts up with his moods and absences. Slave Athea is upity and rude. Alexander is a complex young man who starts out as a spoiled brat, but moves slowly into being an intellectual young man who heads up a nation of warriors. Phillip is a king, used to getting what he wants.
This is a slow, moving novel that while interesting for its meticulously researched details, failed to grab me.
And it is with the characters that this novel shines, as it is really low on plot. Although this book purports to be a fictionalization about the student/teacher relationship between Alexander and Aristotle, it is far more about Aristotle. Cast as the absent minded professor who seeks to place the world into the order he believes, it is through his eyes we see what action there is. We are also treated to flashbacks to various points in his life. All other characters are also seen through Aristotle's eyes. His long suffering wife, Pythia, is a child-bride who puts up with his moods and absences. Slave Athea is upity and rude. Alexander is a complex young man who starts out as a spoiled brat, but moves slowly into being an intellectual young man who heads up a nation of warriors. Phillip is a king, used to getting what he wants.
This is a slow, moving novel that while interesting for its meticulously researched details, failed to grab me.
claudiaferreira's review against another edition
5.0
Um relato da vida de Aristóteles e consequentemente, da de Alexandre, contado na primeira pessoa.
Para quem se interessa por esta época é uma das melhores formas de a estudar, história e filosofia na roupagem mais apelativa em que podem ser servidas.
Para quem se interessa por esta época é uma das melhores formas de a estudar, história e filosofia na roupagem mais apelativa em que podem ser servidas.
jackieeh's review against another edition
3.0
Anything involving the delightfully scary (and sad and precocious) Alexander was five stars. Anything involving mental health and conceptions thereof was five stars. Everything else was meh.
iphigenie72's review against another edition
4.0
A novel about the relationship between Aristotle and Alexander the Great. It’s interesting to see how the teacher tries to influence the young prince though some things seemed to be already set in Alexander’s character when they first meet and the pupil is already 12. Nor knowing that much about Aristotle or Alexander it made even the events that are historical surprises, but this is very much fictional. It feels like not much happens in the book, but it was not too much philosophical which was my fear when I started… Philosophy was not my favourite subject in College, it lost me too easily.
I would not have chosen this book on my own, this era of history doesn’t attract me, it was a book I received from Lison (it’s a bookbox service in Quebec) and I was a little disappointed to receive a book in french translated from the English because I read mostly in English and I chose the service to have books originally written in French, but since I would have never read this otherwise it was a good thing in the end (though I did write the company to let them know my expectations for the future).
I would not have chosen this book on my own, this era of history doesn’t attract me, it was a book I received from Lison (it’s a bookbox service in Quebec) and I was a little disappointed to receive a book in french translated from the English because I read mostly in English and I chose the service to have books originally written in French, but since I would have never read this otherwise it was a good thing in the end (though I did write the company to let them know my expectations for the future).
bookcrone_'s review against another edition
4.0
The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon is terrific. I'll start with that and recommend that you go out and buy it.
This is a novel about Aristotle before he became Aristotle. He isn't a young man when the book begins. He is 37 years old and is inspecting his wife's vulva and vagina out of intellectual curiosity. His curiosity is great and he covets knowledge of all things.
The story follows his experiences for the next 7 years or so, while he is the tutor of Alexander the Great before he became the Great, still just the kid of King Philip of Macedon. The capital city, Pella, is a rough and tumble backwater. Aristotle longs for Athens, where he will, beginning in middle-age, found an academy and write the works that will influence science and thought for the next 1500 years or more.
The story is told in the first person and it's very much an interior journey. There is no overarching narrative, no through line of plot, but it held my interest throughout because it's so very well done. The voice of Aristotle, his thoughts, his feelings, his perspective and reminiscences are compelling. I know that this is one of the buzz words of blurbs (along with tour de force), but in this case the word is the right one. The historical period is brought vividly to life, not in external details, but through this perspective.
Aristotle is a nerd in a world of jocks, an intellectual among uncultured warriors whose king wants to put some shine on his court. Aristotle is both respected and mocked, seen as effeminate, and yet oddly valued. A king's friend, he is aware of his precarious position. He is a man of great mental powers and at the same time, a man of his period, shocked when his wife experiences sexual pleasure, not especially kind to women or slaves, but more considerate than some.
Of necessity, since ancient Greece restricted women's movements, especially upper class women, the story is mostly about men, but Lyon conveys the poignancy of this restriction effectively. One moment stands out for me especially, when Alexander's mother comes to visit him at school, and pays dearly for it because she is not supposed to leave her quarters. I also enjoyed the character and voice of the slave/midwife Athea.
(As an aside, I liked her so much I was thinking that if I was writing the book she would be my main character and then laughed at myself, because of course I did that in The River Midnight, albeit set in a later historical period.)
This must have been a hard book to bring to a conclusion because there isn't a narrative arc. There is no resolution, just another stage in the journey. I say this because my only quibble with this book, and it's a small one, is at the end. The last few pages are, like the rest, terrific. But just before that there is a conversation between Aristotle and Alexander that sums up their relationship, and I just couldn't picture it as real. But then it's over, the author returns to Aristotle's voice, which has been so--yes I'll say it again--compelling throughout. Aristotle leaves for Athens. He is about to become Aristotle.
Interior, first person stories are not my favourite form. It has to be well executed indeed to hold my interest, to impress and stay with me. The Golden Mean did.
This is a novel about Aristotle before he became Aristotle. He isn't a young man when the book begins. He is 37 years old and is inspecting his wife's vulva and vagina out of intellectual curiosity. His curiosity is great and he covets knowledge of all things.
The story follows his experiences for the next 7 years or so, while he is the tutor of Alexander the Great before he became the Great, still just the kid of King Philip of Macedon. The capital city, Pella, is a rough and tumble backwater. Aristotle longs for Athens, where he will, beginning in middle-age, found an academy and write the works that will influence science and thought for the next 1500 years or more.
The story is told in the first person and it's very much an interior journey. There is no overarching narrative, no through line of plot, but it held my interest throughout because it's so very well done. The voice of Aristotle, his thoughts, his feelings, his perspective and reminiscences are compelling. I know that this is one of the buzz words of blurbs (along with tour de force), but in this case the word is the right one. The historical period is brought vividly to life, not in external details, but through this perspective.
Aristotle is a nerd in a world of jocks, an intellectual among uncultured warriors whose king wants to put some shine on his court. Aristotle is both respected and mocked, seen as effeminate, and yet oddly valued. A king's friend, he is aware of his precarious position. He is a man of great mental powers and at the same time, a man of his period, shocked when his wife experiences sexual pleasure, not especially kind to women or slaves, but more considerate than some.
Of necessity, since ancient Greece restricted women's movements, especially upper class women, the story is mostly about men, but Lyon conveys the poignancy of this restriction effectively. One moment stands out for me especially, when Alexander's mother comes to visit him at school, and pays dearly for it because she is not supposed to leave her quarters. I also enjoyed the character and voice of the slave/midwife Athea.
(As an aside, I liked her so much I was thinking that if I was writing the book she would be my main character and then laughed at myself, because of course I did that in The River Midnight, albeit set in a later historical period.)
This must have been a hard book to bring to a conclusion because there isn't a narrative arc. There is no resolution, just another stage in the journey. I say this because my only quibble with this book, and it's a small one, is at the end. The last few pages are, like the rest, terrific. But just before that there is a conversation between Aristotle and Alexander that sums up their relationship, and I just couldn't picture it as real. But then it's over, the author returns to Aristotle's voice, which has been so--yes I'll say it again--compelling throughout. Aristotle leaves for Athens. He is about to become Aristotle.
Interior, first person stories are not my favourite form. It has to be well executed indeed to hold my interest, to impress and stay with me. The Golden Mean did.
michaeljohnhalseartistry's review against another edition
4.0
Back in 2009, The Golden Mean, written by Canadian author Annabel Lyon has the distinction of being the only book nominated for all three of Canada’s major fiction prizes: the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Governor General’s Award for English Language Fiction, and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and after finishing this book, I’m hardly surprised at the esteem and acclaim this novel has received.
The Golden Mean explores the relationship between ancient Greek philosopher, and the father of Western Philosophy, Aristotle and his most famous student, Alexander the Great. I have always loved ancient history, and Alexander has been a favourite historical figure of mine since I was a teenager. He was one of the most important and successful military leaders in the entire history of our world and was influential on spreading Greek culture, exploring the east, opening up trade routes, and connecting a large swath of the world that was previously segregated in ancient times. I’ve also always been fascinated with his relationship with Hephaestion, his close childhood friend who also studied under Aristotle, and who remained close to Alexander’s side until his death, shortly before Alexander’s own health failed. While historians dispute whether or not Alexander and Hephaestion were lovers (which, they totally were), Aristotle described their relationship as “one soul abiding two bodies.” To be honest, I expected more of Alexander and Hephaestion’s relationship in this novel, and while their attraction was made perfectly clear, I just wanted more. More gay Alexander!
Back to The Golden Mean, Lyon has written an incredible historical fiction filled with pathos and melancholia. She paints both Aristotle and Alexander as a highly intelligent, curious, and knowledgable characters trapped in a world bound by oppressive customs and a lack of philosophical interest and probing. The melancholic Aristotle is mirrored in Alexander who unnerves those around him because of the darkness that haunts his thoughts and actions. I won’t lie, it took me a while to get into this novel, and especially get used to the dialogue vernacular; Lyon doesn’t “set” the period with her dialogue like most historical authors, instead using similar language and dialogue that you’d hear in today’s day and age, and at first I found that kind of jarring. But slowly, the gentle pathos and calm sadness that Aristotle feels seeps from the words and the characters and grabbed hold of me and fed into some part of me that could relate. All of that isn’t to say that The Golden Mean is a tragic novel, it isn’t. But it doesn’t shy away from the loneliness, sadness, and grief that festered in Aristotle and made him look at things with a different eye than the average person.
This was such a moving, and delicate novel. Not too much happened, plot-wise, it was more a character study of both Aristotle and Alexander and the intersecting of similar souls and identities in a world that was very different from them, but required much of them. I know when I really like a novel, by the way I slow down my reading towards the end, like I don’t want the story to end, like I don’t want to say goodbye the characters, it’s a subconscious reaction I tend to do when I really like something that’s coming to an end, and I totally did that with The Golden Mean. This is a novel that I will absolutely come back to in the future, and one the I will treasure in the present.
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, MY OWN NOVELS, AND PHOTOGRAPHY, CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE:
michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
The Golden Mean explores the relationship between ancient Greek philosopher, and the father of Western Philosophy, Aristotle and his most famous student, Alexander the Great. I have always loved ancient history, and Alexander has been a favourite historical figure of mine since I was a teenager. He was one of the most important and successful military leaders in the entire history of our world and was influential on spreading Greek culture, exploring the east, opening up trade routes, and connecting a large swath of the world that was previously segregated in ancient times. I’ve also always been fascinated with his relationship with Hephaestion, his close childhood friend who also studied under Aristotle, and who remained close to Alexander’s side until his death, shortly before Alexander’s own health failed. While historians dispute whether or not Alexander and Hephaestion were lovers (which, they totally were), Aristotle described their relationship as “one soul abiding two bodies.” To be honest, I expected more of Alexander and Hephaestion’s relationship in this novel, and while their attraction was made perfectly clear, I just wanted more. More gay Alexander!
Back to The Golden Mean, Lyon has written an incredible historical fiction filled with pathos and melancholia. She paints both Aristotle and Alexander as a highly intelligent, curious, and knowledgable characters trapped in a world bound by oppressive customs and a lack of philosophical interest and probing. The melancholic Aristotle is mirrored in Alexander who unnerves those around him because of the darkness that haunts his thoughts and actions. I won’t lie, it took me a while to get into this novel, and especially get used to the dialogue vernacular; Lyon doesn’t “set” the period with her dialogue like most historical authors, instead using similar language and dialogue that you’d hear in today’s day and age, and at first I found that kind of jarring. But slowly, the gentle pathos and calm sadness that Aristotle feels seeps from the words and the characters and grabbed hold of me and fed into some part of me that could relate. All of that isn’t to say that The Golden Mean is a tragic novel, it isn’t. But it doesn’t shy away from the loneliness, sadness, and grief that festered in Aristotle and made him look at things with a different eye than the average person.
This was such a moving, and delicate novel. Not too much happened, plot-wise, it was more a character study of both Aristotle and Alexander and the intersecting of similar souls and identities in a world that was very different from them, but required much of them. I know when I really like a novel, by the way I slow down my reading towards the end, like I don’t want the story to end, like I don’t want to say goodbye the characters, it’s a subconscious reaction I tend to do when I really like something that’s coming to an end, and I totally did that with The Golden Mean. This is a novel that I will absolutely come back to in the future, and one the I will treasure in the present.
-----
FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, MY OWN NOVELS, AND PHOTOGRAPHY, CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE:
michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
rex_libris's review against another edition
4.0
A lyrical and intimate retelling of the rise of Macedon and Alexander the Great, unexpectedly from the point-of-view of Aristotle.
bookthia's review against another edition
4.0
Here's what I knew about Aristotle before I began this book: I knew he was a Greek philospher who had been a student of Plato, and that he was famous for writing about philosophy. What a limited view of a fascinating historical figure. I am SO GLAD I read this book and learned more about this period of time in human history.
This story is about Aritstotle BEFORE he becomes Aristotle (before establishing his own school) and about Aristotle's most famous (infamous?) student Alexander BEFORE he is known as Alexander The Great. Focussing predominantly on the three years that Aristotle served as Tutor to Alexander, this story explores Aristotle's relationships and influences and activities during a tumultuous time in Macedonian/Hellenic history.
The writing is slow paced, thoughtful and beautifully illustrative. Lyon portrays Aristotle as kind and pensive, struggling with depression (Aristotle refers to it as the 'black bile'), imminently curious about the world around him, and socially/culturally set in his ways convinced in the rightness of those ways.
The novel is beautifully constructed, and the characters within its pages come to life so believably, even though it is a world long gone. I enjoyed reading this immensely.
This story is about Aritstotle BEFORE he becomes Aristotle (before establishing his own school) and about Aristotle's most famous (infamous?) student Alexander BEFORE he is known as Alexander The Great. Focussing predominantly on the three years that Aristotle served as Tutor to Alexander, this story explores Aristotle's relationships and influences and activities during a tumultuous time in Macedonian/Hellenic history.
The writing is slow paced, thoughtful and beautifully illustrative. Lyon portrays Aristotle as kind and pensive, struggling with depression (Aristotle refers to it as the 'black bile'), imminently curious about the world around him, and socially/culturally set in his ways convinced in the rightness of those ways.
The novel is beautifully constructed, and the characters within its pages come to life so believably, even though it is a world long gone. I enjoyed reading this immensely.