Review of The Fox

[toointofiction]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fox" by M. N. J. Butler.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Fox by M. N. J. Butler is a novel written as an autobiography detailing the life of the main character, Leotychides, an illegitimate prince of Sparta in ancient Greece. He wrote down everything that had happened to him ever since he was a child. He wrote about his scheming uncle, Agisilaos, who saw an opportunity to steal the right to the Spartan throne from Leotychides after his father’s death. Also detailed were the Spartan prince's experiences in various battles and wars. Leotychides was a man who dutifully tried to protect his city's laws and traditions, as his devious uncle carelessly destroyed Sparta instead of protecting it as a ruler should.

I am not usually into historical fiction, but this might have turned things around for me. There were a few positive aspects in particular that I really liked. For one thing, I found the plot to be interesting. I may not read historical fiction often, but I love history. I love ancient Greek history, in particular. It has always fascinated me, and I think that helped me like this book a little more. Also, I really liked the main character, Leotychides, which is really important, of course. One cannot enjoy a story without feeling fond of the main character. The hardships he went through and his determination to become someone important in life and in his city are some of the things that made me really like him.

There is one thing in particular, however, that I did not really enjoy. Butler’s writing style felt somewhat confusing to me, making me go back and reread some paragraphs. It caused me to lose focus on the story a little too often and tired me out as well.

As is required, I was careful to detect any grammatical or other errors while I was reading this book. I only found one grammatical error, and therefore, I should state that Butler’s The Fox was fairly well edited by whoever was in charge of doing so.

I thought about what rating this book deserves and came to the conclusion that it should be rated 3 out of 4 stars. While the story itself was fascinating, the plot well structured, and the characters well developed, I believe the writing could have been better. The Fox is definitely an enjoyable book. It was, however, written in a way that was unclear and often confusing. It is hard to stay focused on a story when one has to read a sentence or paragraph more than once or twice to understand it.

Even if this book is often hard to follow, I would still recommend it. More specifically, I would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction or books set in ancient Greece.

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The Fox
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