Review by Tommi -- The Fox by M. N. J. Butler

[Tommi]

[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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Just imagine how life would be if your important questions went unanswered. You are unsure who your father really is, and you have no idea what the future will be like. No one is willing to answer these questions. Such was the situation we found Leotychides in the opening chapters of the book, The Fox. This book holds one's interest and stirs the emotions.

Leotychides is the protagonist in this book. He was born into the Spartan royal family, and as the heir, he should be the successor to the throne. However, at a very tender age, he noticed the furtive glances directed at him by others. Against his mother's wishes, he was taken to the flock. This is a bit strange because princes do not go to the flock. Leotychides agrees to go to the flock where he was trained amidst extreme hardship, but somehow, he managed to come off unbroken. Finally, he had the rare opportunity to come face to face with his father, King Agis. When the time arrived for him to succeed his father, his uncle, Agisilaos, usurps the throne. Leotychides finds himself on a long exile accompanied by loyal friends whom he had acquired while in the flock.

The opening chapters of this book are programmed to sustain your interest. The author's description of life in the flock is so vivid that nothing is left to one's imagination. The author, M. N. J. Butler has obviously done much research about life in ancient Sparta because the stories in The Fox agrees with the historical record of Leotychides.

I was curious to find out how a fox found its way into this book. Early in the book, however, I came across the story of the boy with the fox hidden in his cloak. It made a lot of sense, and I was able to grasp its deeper meaning. I was able to learn much about resilience, patience and integrity. The protagonist displayed qualities worth emulating. I also realized that some social ills such as adultery had its roots in some ancient cultures. It was obvious that extra care had been taken to edit this book. However, excessive use of apostrophes in the text proved to be problematic. At times, it was difficult to know who was speaking, and that affected the flow of thought. This is the reason why I would have to rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to those with a keen interest in Greek history. However, If you are not a fan of lengthy books, you might be unable to read this book to its end.

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The Fox
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