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A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon
3.0
‘You make the world larger for yourself by conquering it, but you always lose something in the process.’
The philosopher Aristotle was engaged by King Philip II of Macedon in 343 BCE as tutor for his 13 year old son Alexander. This novel, written from Aristotle’s first person perspective, tells the imagined story of the relationship between him and his most famous student: the boy who went on to transform the world as Alexander the Great.
Ms Lyon has crafted an interesting and enjoyable novel around the lives of some key historical figures (Aristotle, Plato, Philip and Alexander) and done so in a way that integrates the broad sweep of history with the very human foibles that each possesses. As depicted, Aristotle is a fascinating character: a blend of contradictions who is both curious about the world around him and caught within the conventions of the times in which he lived. On the pages of this novel, Aristotle comes to life.
Alexander is still being shaped: his training for leadership and war is tempered (in part) by Aristotle’s training in philosophy and the arts. The aim is to find a balance, or the Golden Mean, between the two extremes of deficiency and excess. The objective is to prepare Alexander to succeed Philip, and while Aristotle views Alexander as ‘a violent, snotty boy’ at the beginning, he comes to love and respect him by the end of the novel.
I enjoyed this novel because of its perspective of Alexander. I found the depiction of Aristotle fascinating. While he doesn’t seem terribly pleasant person, he is believable and I could imagine him teaching, challenging and shaping Alexander. For me, one of the most interesting characters was Philip of Macedon, and I would like to read more about him.
‘Never be afraid to enter an agreement you can’t immediately see your way out of.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The philosopher Aristotle was engaged by King Philip II of Macedon in 343 BCE as tutor for his 13 year old son Alexander. This novel, written from Aristotle’s first person perspective, tells the imagined story of the relationship between him and his most famous student: the boy who went on to transform the world as Alexander the Great.
Ms Lyon has crafted an interesting and enjoyable novel around the lives of some key historical figures (Aristotle, Plato, Philip and Alexander) and done so in a way that integrates the broad sweep of history with the very human foibles that each possesses. As depicted, Aristotle is a fascinating character: a blend of contradictions who is both curious about the world around him and caught within the conventions of the times in which he lived. On the pages of this novel, Aristotle comes to life.
Alexander is still being shaped: his training for leadership and war is tempered (in part) by Aristotle’s training in philosophy and the arts. The aim is to find a balance, or the Golden Mean, between the two extremes of deficiency and excess. The objective is to prepare Alexander to succeed Philip, and while Aristotle views Alexander as ‘a violent, snotty boy’ at the beginning, he comes to love and respect him by the end of the novel.
I enjoyed this novel because of its perspective of Alexander. I found the depiction of Aristotle fascinating. While he doesn’t seem terribly pleasant person, he is believable and I could imagine him teaching, challenging and shaping Alexander. For me, one of the most interesting characters was Philip of Macedon, and I would like to read more about him.
‘Never be afraid to enter an agreement you can’t immediately see your way out of.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith