Review by a_r_egerton -- The Fox by M. N. J. Butler
Posted: 02 Jun 2020, 13:47
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fox" by M. N. J. Butler.]
The Fox by M.N.J. Butler is a historical novel set in ancient Greece, and it a first-person account of Leotychides, a prince of Sparta. He narrates his story at the command of King Philippos, the ruler of Macedon, and the father of the future Alexander the Great.
The prologue introduces Leotychides as an older man visiting Philippos’ royal court. Philippos orders him to write about Sparta after shrewdly noting that there are fewer written accounts with a Spartan perspective than with an Athenian or Theban perspective.
In the first chapter, Leotychides momentarily dithers over where to begin his story. After sarcastically commenting that he doesn’t plan to take a “verbal journey back into the Bronze Age,” he decides to write an autobiography.
Leotychides spent his early years with his mother in one of the royal palaces. He never saw his father, King Agis, for he was away at war and didn’t come home until Leotychides was around eight.
As per Spartan tradition, Leotychides stayed with his mother only until he was seven years old. He was then sent to the “flock,” a communal campground where boys were educated and underwent extensive physical training. Most boys remained with the flock until they were twenty years old.
Leotychides’ father, however, dies when he is around fifteen, and he leaves the flock to assume the throne – so he thinks. His uncle, Agisilaos, takes the throne instead. The Apella, or Assembly, supports him because of persistent rumors that Leotychides is the illegitimate son of his mother’s lover.
Leotychides decides not to force the issue, at least partly in deference to his father’s last wishes which had been that he keep Sparta united. His education has emphasized obedience, tradition, and loyalty, so it will take a lot for Leotychides to go against his father’s last request.
Leotychides was a real person, but he fades from the historical records after the Apella supported his uncle’s claim to the throne. While Butler largely invented Leotychides’ later career, the battles and other events actually took place.
Historical novels with unfamiliar settings can be tough sledding, and The Fox is no exception. Butler helpfully includes a glossary and a family tree of the Spartan royal family, and readers who aren’t familiar with Sparta will find themselves referring to these resources a lot. Since Leotychides is writing for a non-Spartan, he assumes his audience knows little or nothing about Sparta and helpfully explains different aspects of Spartan culture. The reader thus learns about Sparta along with King Philippos.
For example, Sparta was ruled by two kings who descended from the twin sons of King Aristodemos. This novel arrangement had its advantages. During war, for instance, the more experienced king would lead the troops into battle, while the other stayed home.
I most disliked many of the political discussions simply because I found them hard to follow. Ancient Greece wasn’t a unified country but a collection of city-states that largely didn’t get along. I suspect many readers will want a scorecard to keep track of the shifting alliances and quarrels between Sparta, Athens, Thebes, and the other city-states.
Leotychides’ attitudes toward relationships reflect his dutiful and unsentimental Spartan values. He gets married because Spartans of both sexes are required to produce the next generation of warriors. A much older friend who can’t sire children actually arranges for Leotychides to have an affair with his wife in the hopes of getting her pregnant. Although Leotychides and the young woman are passionately drawn to each other, they dutifully break up once she gets pregnant. I most liked such episodes, for they demonstrated the differences between Sparta and the other city-states, as well as the differences between Sparta and contemporary societies.
The ancient Greeks accepted male homosexuality, and the Spartans were no exception. Leotychides himself has a relationship with another soldier named Doreius – and he devotes far more time talking about Doreius than he does about his wife, who is barely a presence in the book. Since Spartan law dictated that the first duty of men between twenty and sixty was to fight, Leotychides spends months or even years away from home, and he sees Doreius a lot more often than anybody in his family.
Butler, however, does not go into detail about the physical aspects of Leotychides’ relationships, other than to have Leotychides describe physical features he considers beautiful. They place more emphasis on how Leotychides feels about a specific person than on what they do in bed.
Similarly, Butler does not have their characters use vulgar language – even though many of them are soldiers. The characters' swearing takes the form of such oaths as “By the gods!” or “Hades take it!” One of the boys in Leotychides’ flock is nicknamed “Pointer” for his sizable erections, and that’s about it for crude humor.
Leotychides’ humor tends to be dry rather than crass. For example, when describing a conversation about politics with a friend, he writes, “Chairon asked me whether it was always necessary to replace fools with fools. I told him it was, if only fools put themselves up for election, and suggested that he stand if he wanted to change the pattern.”
I rate The Fox 3 out of 4 stars, with a star being deducted for punctuation errors. Butler could also use some lessons in how to properly organize a bibliography. Butler, however, does tell an interesting story in a fascinating setting, and he does a creditable job of showing how his protagonist thinks and feels, and how his reactions differ from those of a modern person. Fans of historical novels and ancient Greece should especially enjoy The Fox.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Fox by M.N.J. Butler is a historical novel set in ancient Greece, and it a first-person account of Leotychides, a prince of Sparta. He narrates his story at the command of King Philippos, the ruler of Macedon, and the father of the future Alexander the Great.
The prologue introduces Leotychides as an older man visiting Philippos’ royal court. Philippos orders him to write about Sparta after shrewdly noting that there are fewer written accounts with a Spartan perspective than with an Athenian or Theban perspective.
In the first chapter, Leotychides momentarily dithers over where to begin his story. After sarcastically commenting that he doesn’t plan to take a “verbal journey back into the Bronze Age,” he decides to write an autobiography.
Leotychides spent his early years with his mother in one of the royal palaces. He never saw his father, King Agis, for he was away at war and didn’t come home until Leotychides was around eight.
As per Spartan tradition, Leotychides stayed with his mother only until he was seven years old. He was then sent to the “flock,” a communal campground where boys were educated and underwent extensive physical training. Most boys remained with the flock until they were twenty years old.
Leotychides’ father, however, dies when he is around fifteen, and he leaves the flock to assume the throne – so he thinks. His uncle, Agisilaos, takes the throne instead. The Apella, or Assembly, supports him because of persistent rumors that Leotychides is the illegitimate son of his mother’s lover.
Leotychides decides not to force the issue, at least partly in deference to his father’s last wishes which had been that he keep Sparta united. His education has emphasized obedience, tradition, and loyalty, so it will take a lot for Leotychides to go against his father’s last request.
Leotychides was a real person, but he fades from the historical records after the Apella supported his uncle’s claim to the throne. While Butler largely invented Leotychides’ later career, the battles and other events actually took place.
Historical novels with unfamiliar settings can be tough sledding, and The Fox is no exception. Butler helpfully includes a glossary and a family tree of the Spartan royal family, and readers who aren’t familiar with Sparta will find themselves referring to these resources a lot. Since Leotychides is writing for a non-Spartan, he assumes his audience knows little or nothing about Sparta and helpfully explains different aspects of Spartan culture. The reader thus learns about Sparta along with King Philippos.
For example, Sparta was ruled by two kings who descended from the twin sons of King Aristodemos. This novel arrangement had its advantages. During war, for instance, the more experienced king would lead the troops into battle, while the other stayed home.
I most disliked many of the political discussions simply because I found them hard to follow. Ancient Greece wasn’t a unified country but a collection of city-states that largely didn’t get along. I suspect many readers will want a scorecard to keep track of the shifting alliances and quarrels between Sparta, Athens, Thebes, and the other city-states.
Leotychides’ attitudes toward relationships reflect his dutiful and unsentimental Spartan values. He gets married because Spartans of both sexes are required to produce the next generation of warriors. A much older friend who can’t sire children actually arranges for Leotychides to have an affair with his wife in the hopes of getting her pregnant. Although Leotychides and the young woman are passionately drawn to each other, they dutifully break up once she gets pregnant. I most liked such episodes, for they demonstrated the differences between Sparta and the other city-states, as well as the differences between Sparta and contemporary societies.
The ancient Greeks accepted male homosexuality, and the Spartans were no exception. Leotychides himself has a relationship with another soldier named Doreius – and he devotes far more time talking about Doreius than he does about his wife, who is barely a presence in the book. Since Spartan law dictated that the first duty of men between twenty and sixty was to fight, Leotychides spends months or even years away from home, and he sees Doreius a lot more often than anybody in his family.
Butler, however, does not go into detail about the physical aspects of Leotychides’ relationships, other than to have Leotychides describe physical features he considers beautiful. They place more emphasis on how Leotychides feels about a specific person than on what they do in bed.
Similarly, Butler does not have their characters use vulgar language – even though many of them are soldiers. The characters' swearing takes the form of such oaths as “By the gods!” or “Hades take it!” One of the boys in Leotychides’ flock is nicknamed “Pointer” for his sizable erections, and that’s about it for crude humor.
Leotychides’ humor tends to be dry rather than crass. For example, when describing a conversation about politics with a friend, he writes, “Chairon asked me whether it was always necessary to replace fools with fools. I told him it was, if only fools put themselves up for election, and suggested that he stand if he wanted to change the pattern.”
I rate The Fox 3 out of 4 stars, with a star being deducted for punctuation errors. Butler could also use some lessons in how to properly organize a bibliography. Butler, however, does tell an interesting story in a fascinating setting, and he does a creditable job of showing how his protagonist thinks and feels, and how his reactions differ from those of a modern person. Fans of historical novels and ancient Greece should especially enjoy The Fox.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon