Customer Reviews

Champion of the Dead

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great book for those who want a hands-on ancient Athens experience. If you're looking for literary immersion, which feeds you the sights, sounds and smells that make you feel you are actually in the Agora market place, the everyman's sparring gym and establishments that range from a brothel to most elite homes of the city, this is your book. Hatten is *extremely* knowledgeable of the setting, customs and period. Though his attention to detail may very briefly seem daunting for non-"Greek geeks", like myself, this passes very quickly. The author clearly explains his references in a subtle, non-condescending type of way. What also makes this book intriguing is that the protagonist, Idas, is a metic (half-citizen), though well educated and a successful merchant. This status, however, allows him to acquaint and involve himself with a wide breadth of characters, from the privileged to servant class, which makes for very interesting reading.

As for plot, Idas is a very honorable man, whose objective is to seek the killer of his boxing mentor and idol Lamachus, the Champion of Athens. In the process of his quest, Idas discovers that his hero was not quite as noble as his façade implied and wrestles with the ideas of both political and personal motives for the murder. I highly recommend this book, particularly for those who love historical fiction.

This book took me back to early days of summer reading, when life was full of meaning and potential, and each classic became a path to discovery. The history in this novel is rich and mysterious, an alien world to my own, but handled with such integrity that it became easy to adopt Idas as a hero.

All those who are curious about the Greek culture will revel in the detailed descriptions. I am giving it four stars because of a slight verbal tightness at the start. It was a joyful and informative book.