Customer Reviews

Remembering Hypatia: A Novel of Ancient Egypt

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(5)
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I've just finished reading this book for the second time through and I recommend it without reservation. Hypatia is a woman forgotten by history. She was the leading intellectual of Egypt under Roman rule, in the waning days of empire.

The author's descriptive powers and wordcraft are magical. This time period came alive for me, the eccentric city of Alexandria and all the many cultures living there. Often historical novels can read dryly, but Remembering Hypatia painlessly injected a lot of historical detail into the story without being overbearing. It reads as easily as a beautiful poem. Entire scenes are permanently burned on my imagination...and the characters, even the minor ones like servants or city officials, feel like parts of my life now. They are alive on the page.

The story itself does not let go of the reader. This is an amazing window on a time period that's hardly ever been written about, and it is so completely convincing in its execution. Everything feels entirely real; I've never seen the ancient world painted with such ease and strength of detail. And the emotional impact lingers for days.

Remembering Hypatia is a must-read beyond doubt, absolutely haunting and beautiful.

A long forgotten woman named Hypatia lived in Egypt, not at the time of the pharaohs, but much later, under Roman occupation, when education and learning were at a high point, and the "cultured" city of Alexandria was as much a melting pot as the major cities in America today. The story of Hypatia is as heart breaking as it is informative. Brian Trent's beautifully woven tapestry of events, based on the TRUE story, is one that will certainly be remembered.

Remembering Hypatia is an exciting and shocking piece of historical fiction. Comprehensively researched, this novel tells the story of Hypatia, the woman astronomer, mathematician and philosopher who was head of the Great Library in Alexandria, Egypt in 414 A.D.. It tells of her passion and her assassination. It contains polarities in religious and political/educational thinking, which are hauntingly similar to what we see in the United States and the world today.

Insightfully written, the book is captivating, moving from scene to scene like a motion picture. It excites the reader about education and knowledge, edifies with various historical facts, challenges belief systems, (steams up the room in a few unexpected brief scenes), and completely startles one with the similarity to today's society and its growing schism between differing political and religious views. One side breathes total intolerance, while the other side struggles to tolerate those who would have them killed.

Among the many events that run concurrently are the treatment of women and the persecution of the Jews. Hypatia rose through the ranks in a "man's world" and became highly esteemed during a time when most women still had only domestic roles. That she lost her life to the religious prejudices of the day, through political brainwashing, is a heart-wrenching tragedy.

A charismatic young male character, named Thasos, makes the story as appealing to high school and college students, as it does to adults. The novel may excite students about the prospect of learning, (if it doesn't make them fear one could be killed for it). The reader becomes poignantly aware of the challenges of governing a society where there are conflicting views. If rating it like a movie, I would give it an "R" for a few, if only brief, steamy sexual scenes and violence that, unfortunately, is historically accurate.

If you want to take a book on an airplane or to the beach (or mountains, or to an air-conditioned "anywhere") this summer, this book is highly recommended.

I read this book last fall with "Hypatia of Alexandria" by Maria Dzielska
and have been recommending it ever since not just because of the author's
power as a story-teller, or its attention to details but because of the
skill in bringing these characters to life. Thasos, Orestes, Hypatia, Cyril,
and the whole cast are skillfully portrayed and believable. This is a
magnificent debut with a message as strong as its delivery and is in the top
three books I read last year.

I want to thank the below reviewer for inspiring me to finally post an
amazon review. Not only were chariots in use in this time period, but in
Dzielska's excellent study of Hypatia's life she writes: "Hypatia was
returning home... she was pulled out of the chariot and dragged to the
church Caesarion." (Page 93) Its also worth saying that the Nile river
breaks into many fingers and canals before connecting to the sea and some of
these are visible from Alexandria's west, south, and east. And the
necropolis scene when Thasos' mother visits her husband's tomb is powerfully
portrayed with a lyrical beauty and insight into the personality of a broken
woman, and the little details, like the Burial houses where the dead sleep,
the incense hangers, the iron key for the many gates. There was a special
History/Discover show on a recent dig into a necropolis in Alexandria, and
maybe the author saw it or maybe he's visited excavation sites, but his
description was perfect and put me into her sandals as she went deeper into
this unique burial site.

In fact its all the attention to the particulars of Hypatia's time that I
cherished and makes Remembering Hypatia a book to read and re-read. The
water-clocks, the Egyptian highbacked chairs, the Greek vases, the Persian
rugs with winged gods in the house of one official, but mostly the humanity
of the cast. Everyone is complex and has reasons for their actions. There's
a mature and seamless way that the author moves into each character, whether
theyre young or old, and this in particular elevates this book to a special
level that puts it far above the majority of books I read last year or even
this year.

Hypatia, her library, and her circle are worth remembering and Remembering
Hypatia makes them impossible to forget.

Hypatia was a remarkable real life woman. An astronomer, physicist, philosopher, and head librarian of the famed Library of Alexander. She is credited with the invention of the astrolabe. She lived however, in a time of rising religious tensions and as a woman who was teaching and a representative of a scientific world view she made an easy scapegoat.

Brian Trent does an excellent job of interweaving the lives of the characters and the intersecting themes of religion, science, and sexism. The time period comes to life in his writing as well. The multi-cultural, pluralistic Alexandria with its Egyptian, Jewish, Christian, and other inhabitants feels vibrant. The author does a great job of adding the authentic touches of scenery and surroundings. It was easy to feel connection to this long ago time period while reading this book. Indeed the message of this tale is still relevant today. Fundamentalism is on the rise and with it a rejection of alternative world views including science as well as a desire to hold women more rigidly in traditional sex roles. While on the flip side commercial society often overly encourages young women to seek attention through their sexuality and obsess about their weight and appearance rather than to really challenge their minds. It seems to me there are better possibilities for women and society in general than either of these extremes. Remembering Hypatia is a well written, thought provoking story of the life and times of an accomplished woman that has parallels to today's world.

The story of the genius, beauty, and boldness of Hypatia forms the basis for this excellently written novel. Hypatia's death is high tragedy, not just because of the loss of this brilliant and forgotten woman, but for all the tragedy that is to follow...the world of Hellenized Egypt is so enchantingly painted in Remembering Hypatia that its fall delivers a knockout emotional blow.

Alexandria was one of the first great melting pots in history, the common ground for a multiplicity of races, religions, and ideas. The Great Library is lovingly re-created as well...it becomes a vivid set piece for the players in this drama. The very evident passion and talent of author Trent is that, just like the many faces of Alexandria, he tackles several diverse points: Rational "classic" argument versus blind superstition, Academic elitism and punditry (as detailed in a very entertaining chapter on Hypatia's education
abroad in Athens), and Reason and Emotion, in conflict and in concert.

Trent doesn't pull many punches (though I thought he softened the blow against the average citizen's apathy, which is IMO, every bit as responsible for murders like Hypatia's as the "saint" who actually ordered it). Hypatia is described as a "female Achilles" and her wit, realism, and devotion to her principles makes her a tremendous personality. No less interesting is governor Orestes, whos like a caged tiger, and his relationship with his wife is a real powder keg. The journey of young Thasos is also the
perfectly believable and enjoyable guide into this world, and his own deteriorating
relationship with his mother Demtria forms the third dimension to the tragedy.

The bottom line? A beautiful and affecting novel which stimulates reflection
on the greatest historical tragedy you never heard of.

... captures the reader in an extremely skillful mix of characterization and documented history. Hypatia was murdered by a mob of fanatical Christians. Remembering Hypatia drops the reader into her final days and rushes inexorably toward a stunning and emotional climax. There's a clever and confident storyteller in every passage and page.

For starters, Alexandria is so well realized with its noisy, multiracial crowds that its a real accomplishment. It invites the reader to visit it again and again. But the two real standout points are the characters and the gutsy handling of the story. First, there's Hypatia herself. I'm so sick of seeing the same personality-type in women in books. "Beautiful AND brilliant." Whoa!! And the problem we see in so many books is that "beautiful and brilliant" is as far as they're explored. Not so here. Hypatia is human with layers, faults and feelings. Orestes the governor rocks thru and thru. But every person is believable and unique.

The best standout poiint is the story. This book is a spell, and it works! So much at stake for each story arc and the world they're living in. There's a chapter where the author describes the arrival of some fanatical monks as a giant serpent slithering into the city...the whole chapter, this one metaphor...and it works perfectly.

A seriously enthralling read. It stays with you.

This story seems written by a resident of Alexandria; attention to detail is such a vital ingredient of a convincing story, particularly in historical fiction, and Trent's got it here in spades.

A second, happily surprising discovery is the ability for this male author to breathe life into a female protagonist. Much like Wally Lamb's Dolores Price in "She's Come Undone," Hypatia is written as intelligent, but also with a genial wit. Her battle against The Church makes her an archetype hero, but the way she is written makes her likable and unforgettable.

The story moves quickly, and the message it imparts could not be more suited to the issues of the day. At once a somber warning, and a wonderful read.

This haunting narrative transports the reader to Fifth Century Alexandria, Egypt. Trent has truly brought back to life Hypatia, the remarkable woman who was the librarian prior to the destruction of the Library at Alexandria. The time, the place and certainly the characters are indelible--long remaining in the reader's mind and heart. The Church's ruthless destruction of the vast wisdom, inclusiveness and enlightenment of all that Alexandria and Hypatia represented continued as any and all "heretics" were zealously destroyed through the centuries.

Nita Hughes, author Past Recall and The Cathar Legacy

This book definitely pulled me in right away. The imagery is so strong and the characters are fully developed people, contrasting well with each other. Its swiftly paced, great reading that I recommend to everyone I know. Definitely looking forward to Trent's next book.

To every bibliophile worth her (or his) bookcase, the great library at Alexandria is a sort of destroyed Mecca. A massive school containing all the knowledge of the ages-the largest collection of books assembled at that point in history staffed by a host of the greatest minds to teach the wisdom therein and people from the entire known world to learn it. This building, this institution was so influential that it is not an exaggeration to say that the Dark Ages immediately followed its destruction.

This is the story of Hypatia, a librarian at that great library. I should clarify and say that the librarians were really more like today's university professors-they taught and researched and wrote books. Hypatia was one of the more well known librarians, for one thing she was a beautiful woman who had apparently devoted her life to knowledge, also for her many books, some of which were highly controversial and for her habit of going among the common people in Egypt and giving lectures.

"Remembering Hypatia" takes place in the last month of this extraordinary woman's life. It is a month in which religious passions are coming to a peak and the now dominate Christian church is becoming increasingly violent about Jews and Pagans living in the Roman Empire (which Alexandria was a part of) and having the same rights as those who followed the legal state religion. Unfortunately Hypatia is grasped upon a symbol of pagan idolatry and as a figure of pagan worship-which leads to her untimely death and the destruction of the great library. However as time has proven, it is not possible to kill off a love of knowledge, even new and scary knowledge which often goes against the "societal truths" in human beings.

I'd actually never heard of Hypatia before reading this book so I can't attest to its authenticity. But I can say as to its writing that it is a vibrant book, which brings alive the age and conflicts between faith and exploration and truly gives one a picture of the awe inspiring library in Alexandria.

The story is told from many view points, Thasos, a glassblower and scholar's son who is starting as a student under Hypatia at the library and falls in love with his older, unreachable teacher. Orestes, the governor of Egypt who shares an unspoken but powerful love with the librarian, Cyril the christen patriarch (an appointed title which meant leader not father) who has a vendetta against Pagans and Jews and chooses Hypatia as his scapegoat, and Hypatia's friends, all in powerful positions in Alexandria. While some of the story lines and characters seem like they add nothing to the novel, it is a very complete book over all and even if it is very short it seems to tell the story of Hypatia's last month completely.

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be quite inspiring about the nature of knowledge. It made me want to read more about this woman and about Egypt in general. I would definitely recommend it and I'll also check out other novels by this author.

Five stars.