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A review by hlblng
Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is the Alexander of the past. The Alexander of Plutarch, the Alexander Julie's Caesar cried over. Alexander the golden child, the general, the conqueror, the god king larger than life. He is more than human, characterised as almost perfect, a prodigy with a sharp mind and short temper. Heavily romanticised but it works so well.
I loved it. This is my 5th book by Mary Renault and by now I know what to expect. I don't go to Mary Renault for a nuanced portrait of a hero of past. I don't expect any comments on the lives of women and slaves. Mary Renault is good at what she does because she writes like an ancient Greek man herself. She does not question the conventions of the time, she does not insert a character with modern views, she works with the society of the time and goes with it. This is definitely not to everyone's taste but does make for a great story.
And by god does it work. I really felt like I was there with Alexander and his friends in the mountains of Macedon, the palace of Pella, the battlefields of Attica. I love her writing style, archaic as it may be at times, her intense devotion to detail and "historical accuracy" (in regard of the ways of life, maybe not necessarily in regards to the actual character of Alexander).
I loved it. This is my 5th book by Mary Renault and by now I know what to expect. I don't go to Mary Renault for a nuanced portrait of a hero of past. I don't expect any comments on the lives of women and slaves. Mary Renault is good at what she does because she writes like an ancient Greek man herself. She does not question the conventions of the time, she does not insert a character with modern views, she works with the society of the time and goes with it. This is definitely not to everyone's taste but does make for a great story.
And by god does it work. I really felt like I was there with Alexander and his friends in the mountains of Macedon, the palace of Pella, the battlefields of Attica. I love her writing style, archaic as it may be at times, her intense devotion to detail and "historical accuracy" (in regard of the ways of life, maybe not necessarily in regards to the actual character of Alexander).