The Laughter Of Aphrodite
(PETER GREEN)
I have always been passionately fond of ancient Greek
history and historical novels ? I have read Mary Renault''s many times ? so it
is bewildering that I have only just discovered Peter Green. The Laughter
of Aphrodite purports to have been written by Sappho at the end of her
life. This is a common device, but not one that is easy to pull off
convincingly, since it requires taking a native perspective.
Green''s novel is, however, a success.
As a noted historian and classicist, he is better qualified than most to
tackle the subject: he weaves historical events ? what few are known from c.
600 B.C. Mytilene ? seamlessly together with knowledge of the wider Greek world
and fictional reconstruction, avoiding the trap of making too much of individual
pieces of information whose survival must, after all, have been largely
fortuitous. (A chronology and a family tree at the end of the volume clearly
distinguish fictional characters and events from historical ones. They are also
helpful for following the plot, since Green avoids anachronistic exposition of
background material.) But it is not just attention to detail and the obvious
grasp of the history which make The Laughter of Aphrodite so
impressive: it is also compelling as a novel and, most importantly, the central
character is convincing ? when I read about Sappho now, it will be Green''s
Sappho who comes to mind.
Resumos Relacionados
- The Alexander Trilogy
- The Penguin Atlas Of World History
- The Secret History
- The Secret History
- Ivanhoe
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