Three-Bullet Book Review: The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon (2009)
- captivating portrayal of a historical prelude to major change: the years when Aristotle was Alexander the Great's teacher, just before Alexander conquered the known world
- subtle exploration of teaching / mentoring, including its potential and limitations
- humanizes major historical figures by revealing their complexities
Recommended?
Definitely, even if you're not a Classics nerd like me. Lyon's writing is smooth and dextrous, with lush attention to sensual detail. Historical fiction's necessarily predetermined endings can sometimes limit its allure for me, but Lyon's strong characters and gorgeous writing kept me coming back.
