Review of In Search of Achilles

[Divine Osokogu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "In Search of Achilles" by Marco van den Berg Scholten.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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This is a moving novel by Marco van den Berg Scholten, where the reader is propelled into the life of Johan van Geesteren, a literature student approaching graduation. Johan travels back to his home town in order to be criticized by Achilles, his best friend, over his writing. Thus, this book gives way to nostalgic moments, fiery philosophical debates, and to the ups and downs of young adulthood. In his final school year, Johan is unsure about his future and under pressure to amount to something. Beautifully captured here is a theme about the struggle of finding one's way through life.

One reason In Search of Achilles attracted me was that it really gets deep into the friendship. The relationship—bonds, rather—between Johan and Achilles appears very real. Their discussions are rich in philosophical thoughts and personal feelings. It really digs deep into the story, both interesting and touching. Ups and downs are overcome together, which is full of warmth and close to reality.

It is this developed focus on meaningful friendship that adds a rich human element to the story. I also love the way the author describes the settings of the scenes. The author brings a small town to life with all the vivid details. The atmosphere, busy student life, and places described create quite a great sense of place, which makes it easy to picture where the characters are and how they are affected by their surroundings.

There wasn't a thing in this book that I found dislikeable. The narrative is good, the characters are well thought out, and the themes are all very well conceived. Even the philosophical discourses added depth to the work and turned out meaningful. Intellectual explorations are therefore offset against the emotional story-telling bits; one finds it engagingly and insightfully rewarding. It's as if every single element seems to serve some purpose, even if it's just to help piece together the story in a believable and engaging way.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because of the way the story is built up, the characters having been thought over, and the themes well thought out. Even the densest philosophical discourses vibrate with added meaning and keep one's interest in the work high, awarding. I recommend this book to readers who have deep philosophical explorations and a strong focus on meaningful friendships. The book was exceptionally well-edited and error-free.

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In Search of Achilles
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