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A review by bookthia
The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon
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.