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Aleksanterin Opettaja (2009)

by Annabel Lyon(Favorite Author)

3.45 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Avain

review 1: Lyon got nominated for a 'worst sex scene' for this book, when describing a moment between Aristotle and his wife, though I vehemently disagree with that choice. In fact, the sex scene is one that sticks in my mind, even through all the other books I've read, because of that strange, removed quality in which she wrote it. The book delves deep and unflinchingly into Aristotle's mind-set, and the rewards are great. The description of Olympias, Alexander's mother, is particularly chilling and memorable.
review 2: Fascinating interpretation of Alexander the Great; this time from the viewpoint of the philosopher, Aristotle, his teacher, who narrates. This gave a different slant to their story, and I enjoyed hearing Aristotle's voice. The author's portrayals of bot... moreh characters was unusual: Alexander the Great was presented as very intense, curious but fixated on a few range of interests, maybe not selfish exactly, but perhaps suffering from Asperger's and most certainly emotionally damaged by his overbearing mother; Aristotle was presented as brilliant, but as he stated in the novel: suffering from "an excess of black bile", which I interpret to mean bipolar disorder, from his description of his moodswings.Aristotle arrives with his wife and nephew in Pella, capital of Macedon and soon is engaged as the tutor of Alexander and Arrhidaeus, his mentally retarded elder brother. The novel describes his teaching of the princes. Besides philosophy, Aristotle demonstrates his knowledge of biology and medicine. [His father had been a physician]. The encouraging and bringing out Arrhidaeus' hidden qualities is done lovingly, so Arrhidaeus becomes more than a boy in a man's body. Alexander's first battles are described. Aristotle serves as a medic with the army for awhile. Finally, Philip is assassinated, Alexander becomes the ruler and goes forth to fulfil his destiny. Aristotle returns to his home town, destroyed in war but rebuilt. The novel as a whole was well written, but the language was a bit raw for me at times and I was uneasy at the author's descriptions of sexual situations. I wish that could have been cut or at least toned down. Some of the depictions of Greek medicine were a bit gruesome for my taste: for instance, a caesarian birth and a trepanning of the skull. I didn't understand all the philosophy, but I liked the explanation of the "golden mean": balance between two extremes. Aristotle's illness could be a metaphor, for instance. The description of Plato's Academy in Athens was fascinating. The text of Aristotle's will was included. I read this quickly in an afternoon and evening. It read smoothly and I got a good feel for ancient Greece. less

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