Review of The Fox
-
Ananya Srivastava
- Posts: 20
- Joined: 21 Jun 2021, 15:50
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 19
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ananya-srivastava.html
- Latest Review: Stupid Divorce by Vincent Fudge II
Review of The Fox
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fox" by M. N. J. Butler.]
If you are well versed with Ancient Greek history, you might know of the Spartan dual kingship system. You might also know of the issues this created for many. It is one of those issues, that The Fox by M. N. J. Butler illustrates. This historical fiction follows the life of Leotychides, the controversial co-heir to the throne of Sparta in the 5th-century B.C.E. It shows the Spartan Prince reflecting on his life, as he recounts both the joys and the struggles of his childhood and youth.
Leotychides starts by speaking of his childhood and youth in great detail. He describes his upbringing within the royal palace, his training in a Spartan military academy, and his relationships with all those significant in both places. He fondly recollected the innocence of his youth and the harshness of his training, and how both the environments taught him what it means to be a true Spartan. Leotychides also recalls when it started going wrong. When politics and ambition forced him into a situation where he struggled to find a place for himself in the future of the nation so dear to him, despite being the Prince.
The book makes a very good attempt at transforming the modern-day Spartan image of 'barbarians trained only in warfare', into what the Spartans actually were. Remarkably skilled at warfare, but also strategy, politics, music, art and so much more. It also paints a very realistic picture in terms of how fragile familial relations are when politics is woven into them. Another thing that impressed me was the way patriotism is written in. As someone who does not feel any strong patriotic emotions towards my own country, the fact that I could empathize with the extremely patriotic Prince was a little surprising, but extremely welcome.
Unfortunately, the book is quite difficult to read. There are simply far too many characters to keep track of without turning to the glossary every two minutes, which gets annoying quickly. That, combined with the difficult sentence structure, makes the book a deceptively long read.
For these reasons, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While the story itself is engaging as you keep reading it, the book is still tedious to read, especially at the beginning.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about Ancient Greek culture, not just those who are already well-versed with it. The first-person perspective makes history far more interesting and palatable when compared to just reading about the significant figures from a historian's perspective. Of course, as mentioned, one needs to be a high-level reader to finish the book.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
If you are well versed with Ancient Greek history, you might know of the Spartan dual kingship system. You might also know of the issues this created for many. It is one of those issues, that The Fox by M. N. J. Butler illustrates. This historical fiction follows the life of Leotychides, the controversial co-heir to the throne of Sparta in the 5th-century B.C.E. It shows the Spartan Prince reflecting on his life, as he recounts both the joys and the struggles of his childhood and youth.
Leotychides starts by speaking of his childhood and youth in great detail. He describes his upbringing within the royal palace, his training in a Spartan military academy, and his relationships with all those significant in both places. He fondly recollected the innocence of his youth and the harshness of his training, and how both the environments taught him what it means to be a true Spartan. Leotychides also recalls when it started going wrong. When politics and ambition forced him into a situation where he struggled to find a place for himself in the future of the nation so dear to him, despite being the Prince.
The book makes a very good attempt at transforming the modern-day Spartan image of 'barbarians trained only in warfare', into what the Spartans actually were. Remarkably skilled at warfare, but also strategy, politics, music, art and so much more. It also paints a very realistic picture in terms of how fragile familial relations are when politics is woven into them. Another thing that impressed me was the way patriotism is written in. As someone who does not feel any strong patriotic emotions towards my own country, the fact that I could empathize with the extremely patriotic Prince was a little surprising, but extremely welcome.
Unfortunately, the book is quite difficult to read. There are simply far too many characters to keep track of without turning to the glossary every two minutes, which gets annoying quickly. That, combined with the difficult sentence structure, makes the book a deceptively long read.
For these reasons, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While the story itself is engaging as you keep reading it, the book is still tedious to read, especially at the beginning.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about Ancient Greek culture, not just those who are already well-versed with it. The first-person perspective makes history far more interesting and palatable when compared to just reading about the significant figures from a historian's perspective. Of course, as mentioned, one needs to be a high-level reader to finish the book.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Stupid Divorce by Vincent Fudge II
