The Mask of Apollo: A Novel

Book Description

Set in fourth-century B.C. Greece, The Mask of Apollo is narrated by Nikeratos, a tragic actor who takes with him on all his travels a gold mask of Apollo, a relic of the theater's golden age, which is now past. At first his mascot, the mask gradually becomes his conscience, and he refers to it his gravest decisions, when he finds himself at the center of a political crisis in which the philosopher Plato is also involved. Much of the action is set in Syracuse, where Plato's friend Dion is trying to persuade the young tyrant Dionysios the Younger to accept the rule of law. Through Nikeratos' eyes, the reader watches as the clash between the two looses all the pent-up violence in the city.

Customer Reviews:

Great Protagonist! 4 and a half stars!.......2006-11-28

I really liked it. The protagonist was homosexual and everything was written from his perspective. I love Mary Renault, how can I not? She gave me the Persian Boy. MoA was a quite engaging read. This book wasn't laced with explicit sexual acts, but the characters were definitely not prudes. Some characters were boring and confusing, but most weren't. I liked Last of the Wine better.

the Mask of Apollo.......2005-02-09

After reading _The King Must Die_ and loving it, I picked up _The Mask of Apollo_, hoping for the same - I just couldn't get it to it. I found the plot too slow, and the characters unlovable. I would rather have read a non-fiction history of the time; this book just couldn't keep my interest, though I am interested in the history of the period. I haven't given up on Mary Renault - I plan to read _The Fire From Heaven_ soon.

Passion, the Future and the Gods.......2004-05-10

There are three elements that make this a great novel. First is Renault's ingenious device to critique Plato and Dion through the eyes of an actor. Plato's greatest intellectual flaw, to many, is his devotion to logic at the expense of the passions. The actor, who earns his bread through the inspiration of passion, can see instantly the weaknesses and where they will ultimately lead.

Second, in this book more than any other, Renault makes you feel the presence of the gods. She does this with subtlely, and one is always left wondering whether Nikeratos the actor is imagining (or, indeed, scripting) the voice of Apollo coming from his mask. But in his heart the reader knows that the voice is genuine and that it always leads Nikeratos to his best self.

Third, this is the novel in which Renault really situates herself in a past, present and future. She even makes subtle jokes about it. (Nikeratos, in a fever, dreams of playing Hamlet -- although if you didn't know Hamlet you'd never get the joke.) In this novel, much more so than in those that preceded it, she makes up her mind that all Greek history leads to or from Alexander. This is the novel she wrote just before Fire From Heaven and she has already decided where she is going.

Really breathes life into the ancient world.......2003-02-19

This was a beautifully written novel. The pervasiveness of homosexual relationships depicted in the story eloquently exposes our own society's morals as arbitrary. Our customs were not established at the dawn of time nor are they immutable as we might suppose. Also the gods were portrayed as spirtually significant powers that really shaped lives. I have thought of them as entertaining mythical fantasies and assumed that the ancients, at least the educated, did as well. But their gods were as powerful and real to them as our God is to us. The colorful caste of characters- Roman soldiers, Gauls, Sicilians, and a few famous figures - really brought the ancient Mediterrannean world to life in all its variety.

"Mask" a fine depiction of the cult of personality.......2003-02-15

"The Mask of Apollo" is Mary Renault's warmest, friendliest book--and I don't say that lightly. While Renault wrote books that draw the reader into new worlds, few of her narrators have been what I'd consider ordinary people. While I would love to sit and chat with Alexander or Simonides, I'd probably get tongue-tied and die of embarrassment if I actually got the chance. Nikeratos the actor is a protagonist you can picture taking home for dinner and a beer.

Niko is an actor, reared to the craft from childhood, and the title of the book refers to an antique mask (Greek actors wore masks; none went barefaced on stage) of the god Apollo that he keeps at first for luck. Niko himself is a man who always seems to come out well of every situation; when the book opens, he is fatherless and working with a struggling troupe when his grace under pressure (Spartans are seen heading for the town he's in while he's acting in a play, and Niko continues acting to keep the crowd quiet) gives his career a boost. A rival's attempt to kill him some time later ends unsuccessfully, and this leads to his meeting with the man who becomes his hero and his shadow.

Dion of Syracuse, nephew to the tyrant Dionysius, is also a disciple of Plato. He is a Sicilian aristocrat, a man who seeks to lessen the tyrant's iron grip on the people of Sicily. Niko is awed by his presence and convictions, but clear-eyed when it comes to seeing how many of Dion's ideas--fed to him by Plato--will impact his craft and the society he moves in for the worst. Without ever saying so, Renault makes a stern criticism of Platonic philosophy, which is one of the beauties of the book.

The death of the first Dionysius and the ascendance of his son, the second Dionysius, are told by Niko in a voice by turns cynical and amused. Niko is a keen observer, and drops devastating sarcastic bombs with lethal accuracy. (His "toast" to Dion on discovering Plato's views on the theater is one explosive moment). But Dionysius II turns out to be worse than his father, and Niko finds himself supporting Dion even as he wonders if his friend and idol knows what he's getting into. The climax of the story shows Dion at the moment of his greatest glory--and Niko's wish for him is painful in its prescience.

"Mask's" central premise is how the powerful and the performers wear masks to woo an audience. Niko is fortunate; he knows when to woo and when to take the mask off and go home. Never taking his craft for granted, he not only likes his audiences, he understands them. Dion, on the other hand, sees himself as a liberator and teacher. His audience is the mob, and the mob are to be led like sheep. A man of dignity, Dion is willing to let the devotion of his people carry him to the highest rank, but once there he cannot take off his mask and stop playing the role he's set for himself. And so we wonder, who is more corrupt--the tyrant who crushes dissent with an iron fist, or the politician who promises freedom and then scrabbles for the safety promised by the tactics of the old regime?

Renault cannot resist tweaking the readers with the end of her book. Niko is nearing the twilight of his career when, after portraying Achilles, he is met backstage by a young prince from Macedon and his best friend. Alexander and Hephaistion make their first appearance, and Niko's sorrowful musing on what might have happened had Plato had Alexander instead of Dion to work with ends the book on a bittersweet note.

Average customer rating:

Moderately decent slashed with creepy

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's a classic

Save your money!

I liked it...but it was very predictable and hardly any action

Bleh
Uneasy Alliance
Jayne Krentz
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1551669587

Book Description

New York Times Bestselling Author.

Was he trying to control her . . . or protect her?

Life has taught Aby Lyndon the value of independence -- and the price she's paid to learn that lesson was high. A relationship gone terribly, unexpectedly wrong has left her wary and determined to control her own life. But Torr Latimer is equally determined to make Abby his own.

Torr's unwavering persistence leaves Abby nervous, confused . . . and undeniably drawn to the force of his passion. But when a nightmare from her past resurfaces, Abby has little choice but to accept Torr's help. Hidden at his remote cabin in the woods, Abby must decide if he's offering her shelter or trying to possess her. Or is Torr promising something else altogether: love?

Customer Reviews:

Moderately decent slashed with creepy.......2007-08-23

Abby and Torr are a reasonably good couple together; she's endearing, moral, and fairly amusing, and they have decent chemistry together. The rest of the plot is a fairly low-key mystery that suits Krentz's older books.

Here is what is strange about this book:

"I think," he whispered huskily, "I'd give you just about anything you wanted except..."
"Except what?"
Your freedom, Torr finished savagely in his head.

That is not comforting in any way, shape, or form for the male lead to say. Every once in awhile, into what is otherwise a perfectly average book, that type of overbearing, intimidating and excessively controlling alpha male attitude is inserted, and far from romantic, it results in being quite creepy. A degree of tolerance is greatly needed if one wants to round out the Krentz collection; otherwise, stick to her other books.

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's a classic.......2006-09-18

If you enjoy Jayne Ann Krentz for its spunky heroines and quirky heroes, then don't buy this book. I gave up after a few chapters. It's original copyright date of 1984 should have been a warning: Abby, the heroine, is ditzy, and Torr, the hero, is patronizing and sexist. I'm so glad Krentz's style grew, but I'll stick to her more recent titles.

Save your money!.......2006-04-07

I've read many of Jayne Ann Krentz's books - especially the more recent ones, and have found them to be very enjoyable. However, I'd have to say this was the worst book I have ever read. The "possessive" theme, with the hero (although I'm not sure that I would call him that) continuously saying "You belong to me" or "You're mine" to the heroine, is completely disturbing. The author seems to be conveying the idea that as long as someone loves you it's okay to make these statements. Possessiveness is not romantic in any way shape or form.
It was a struggle just to finish the book. New readers should stick to her more recent books.

I liked it...but it was very predictable and hardly any action.......2005-11-18

I liked this book. However, there were lots of questions left in my mind after I read it.
Aby met Torr in a flower arranging class. And he fell in love with her right away, but she didn't trust men easily (due to her past with them). It isn't until she is being blackmailed and Torr wants to protect her that she starts trusting him. Then she falls in love with him. He hides her out at his house up in the woods until they figure out what to do and who is trying to blackmail her.
She was being blackmailed with some photos that someone had taken of her and her cousin's husband at a hotel. She is very close to her cousin. But my question is, is why on earth would she not tell her cousin right away anyway, because Aby swears up and down that nothing happened between herself and her cousin's husband that night. So, if nothing had happened then why try to hide it from her cousin? That didn't make any sense to me. Second, I still would like to know why Torr was taking a class on flower arranging? He was such a strong man in this story, I could NOT picture him in a flower class. Also, we hear all about Aby's past, but all we hear about Torr's is that he was married before and his wife was killed in a boating accident. The blackmailer's identity was so easy too guess from the start. I knew who it was throughout the whole book. Then Aby acted surprised to find out who it was. She was a little ditzy dumb in this book. Torr was GREAT! Maybe a little overbearring at times, but he made up for it.

Bleh.......2002-11-28

I'm usually a big JAK fan, but this one was nothing to write home about. I couldn't help wondering why the heroine would want to end up with such an overbearing jerk. :) When the hero isn't someone you'd want to get to know, the book isn't enjoyable.

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Uneasy Alliances (Thieves World, Bk 11)
Robert Asprin , and Lynn Abbey
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0441806104

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A much-needed counterpoise to most poli sci dreck
excellent
you'll never think the same way about parties again.
Wonderful work from an inspirational professor
Prof. Frymer does it again...

Uneasy Alliances
Paul Frymer
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Discrimination & Racism | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Elections | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Political Parties | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0691004641

Book Description

Frymer argues that our two-party system bears much of the blame for this state of affairs. Often overlooked in current discussions of racial politics, the party system represents a genuine form of institutional racism. Frymer shows that this is no accident, for the party system was set up in part to keep African American concerns off the political agenda. Today, the party system continues to restrict the political opportunities of African American voters, as was shown most recently when Bill Clinton took pains to distance himself from African Americans in order to capture conservative votes and win the presidency. Frymer compares the position of black voters with other social groups--gays and lesbians and the Christian right, for example--who have recently found themselves similarly "captured." Rigorously argued and researched, Uneasy Alliances is a powerful challenge to how we think about the relationship between black voters, political parties, and American democracy.

Download Description

Paul Frymer argues provocatively that two-party competition in the United States leads to the marginalization of African Americans and the subversion of democracy. Scholars have long claimed that the need to win elections makes candidates, parties, and government responsive to any and all voters. Frymer shows, however, that party competition is centered around racially conservative white voters, and that this focus on white voters has dire consequences for African Americans. As both parties try to attract white swing voters by distancing themselves from blacks, black voters are often ignored and left with unappealing alternatives. African Americans are thus the leading example of a "captured minority. Frymer argues that our two-party system bears much of the blame for this state of affairs. Often overlooked in current discussions of racial politics, the party system represents a genuine form of institutional racism. Frymer shows that this is no accident, for the party system was set up in part to keep African American concerns off the political agenda. Today, the party system continues to restrict the political opportunities of African American voters, as was shown most recently when Bill Clinton took pains to distance himself from African Americans in order to capture conservative votes and win the presidency. Frymer compares the position of black voters with other social groups--gays and lesbians and the Christian right, for example--who have recently found themselves similarly "captured." Rigorously argued and researched, Uneasy Alliances is a powerful challenge to how we think about the relationship between black voters, political parties, and American democracy.

Customer Reviews:

A much-needed counterpoise to most poli sci dreck.......2001-03-13

Prof. Frymer has written a book that many different audiences will find useful. Political scientists will appreciate his skill in demonstrating a counter-intuitive, and yet ultimately convincing, account of race and party politics. Those from other academic fields will be grateful for Frymer's decision to eschew political science jargon, and will find that the book makes contributions to our understanding of history and law. Finally, non-academics will find the book both accessible and informative. I highly recommend "Uneasy Alliances."

excellent.......1999-08-27

This is one of the best books I've read on race in America. It shows why racism persists, and how our political leaders collude in its persistence. It takes on conventional wisdom among intellectuals and political leaders, and it does so in a way that is accessible to an average reader. I can't praise it too highly.

you'll never think the same way about parties again........1999-08-05

This book is a masterful combination of historical research and party analysis that will reshape the way we think of political parties. Frymer argues convincingly that party institutions have generally sought to marginalize the issue of racial injustice in American politics. A major contribution to the literature from a young scholar and excellent teacher.

Wonderful work from an inspirational professor.......1999-06-16

It is great that now everyone can see what a brilliant mind Paul Frymer is. I took three classes with him at UCLA and he really turned me onto American politics. He showed us what was wrong and how we could go about making it better. The focus was not here is what I think and you must like it, the structure allowed for free thought and contemplation. This is something that is obvious in his writing.

Prof. Frymer does it again..........1999-05-18

I took 4 classes that Prof. Frymer taught at UCLA and was quite impressed with his teaching methods. Prof. Frymer's book, I believe, eloquently summarizes what he tried to convey in those lectures. Written on the level as that of Lani Guinier's work, I hope that Prof. Frymer's book will be able to open the eyes of the typical politician who seems to be disconcerned with such issues and only to win big. Thank you Professor Frymer.

The Uneasy Alliance: Managing the Productivity-Technology Dilemma (Research Colloquium / Harvard Business School)

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The Uneasy Alliance: Managing the Productivity-Technology Dilemma (Research Colloquium / Harvard Business School)
Robert H. Hayes , and Christopher Lorenz
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

New Business Enterprises | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0875841724

UNEASY ALLIANCES (Double Diamond Triangle Saga, No 7)

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UNEASY ALLIANCES (Double Diamond Triangle Saga, No 7)
David Cook
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 078690870X
Release Date: 1998-05-12

Uncovering Lives: The Uneasy Alliance of Biography and Psychology

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If you like Psychobiography...

Uncovering Lives: The Uneasy Alliance of Biography and Psychology
Alan C. Elms
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Psychotherapy, TA & NLP | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0195082877

Book Description

Psychobiography is often attacked by critics who feel that it trivializes complex adult personalities, "explaining the large deeds of great individuals," as George Will wrote, "by some slight the individual suffered at a tender age--say, 7, when his mother took away a lollipop." Worse yet,
some writers have clearly abused psychobiography--for instance, to grind axes from the right (Nancy Clinch on the Kennedy family) or from the left (Fawn Brodie on Richard Nixon)--and others have offered woefully inept diagnoses (such as Albert Goldman's portrait of Elvis Presley as a "split
personality" and a "delusional paranoid"). And yet, as Alan Elms argues in Uncovering Lives, in the hands of a skilled practitioner, psychobiography can rival the very best traditional biography in the insights it offers.
Elms makes a strong case for the value of psychobiography, arguing in large part from example. Indeed, most of the book features Elms's own fascinating case studies of over a dozen prominent figures, among them Sigmund Freud (the father of psychobiography), B.F. Skinner, Isaac Asimov, L. Frank
Baum, Vladimir Nabokov, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, Saddam Hussein, and Henry Kissinger. These profiles make intriguing reading. For example, Elms discusses the fiction of Isaac Asimov in light of the latter's acrophobia (fear of heights) and mild agoraphobia (fear of open spaces)--and Elms includes
excerpts from a series of letters between himself and Asimov. He reveals an unintended subtext of The Wizard of Oz--that males are weak, females are strong (think of Scarecrow, Tin Man, the Lion, and the Wizard, versus the good and bad witches and Dorothy herself)--and traces this in part to Baum's
childhood heart disease, which kept him from strenuous activity, and to his relationship with his mother-in-law, Matilda Joslyn Gage, a distinguished advocate of women's rights. And in a fascinating chapter, he examines the abused childhood of Saddam Hussein, the privileged childhood of George Bush,
and the radically different psychological paths that led these two men into the Persian Gulf War. Elms supports each study with extensive research, much of it never presented before--for instance, on how some of the most revealing portions of C.G. Jung's autobiography were deleted in spite of his
protests before publication. Along the way, Elms provides much insight into how psychobiography is written. Finally, he proposes clear guidelines for judging high quality work, and offers practical tips for anyone interested in writing in this genre.
Written with great clarity and wit, Uncovering Lives illuminates the contributions that psychology can make to biography. Elms's enthusiasm for his subject is contagious and will inspire would-be psychobiographers as well as win over the most hardened skeptics.

Customer Reviews:

If you like Psychobiography..........2000-05-12

Psychobiography is a sometimes suspect practice heavily rooted in Freudian psychology. This, initally, may deter some from embracing psychobiography as a valid form of biography, let alone a pshychological analysis. Yet, Alan Elms manages to not only allay some of the hesitations and frustrations surrounding psychobiography, he also convinces us of some valied points of development of many, and varied, individuals. From Issac Assimov to Leonardo DaVinci to President Bush, Elms manages to allure us into accepting psychobiography with both his solid research basis and his witty style. His analysis of Freud, and especially of Freud's violations of his own proscriptions for psychobiography, is particularly illuminating and, in many regards, comical. Elms avoids drowning in theory, but manages to apply enough at apropos moments that we are secure in the knowledge that this is, indeed, and psychologically based approach. All around a good book for those interested in psychobiography.

The Uneasy Alliance: Religion, Refugee Work, and U.S. Foreign Policy

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The Uneasy Alliance: Religion, Refugee Work, and U.S. Foreign Policy
J. Bruce Nichols
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

With the plight of escalating numbers of refugees around the world growing more desperate every year, the American religious organizations dedicated to helping them are faced with an increasingly complicated relationship with the U.S. government. In this groundbreaking new book, J. Bruce
Nichols uncovers some disturbing facts and trends to demonstrate that the traditional separation of church and state in this country is not easily applied to the conduct of American foreign policy.
Government has become increasingly dependent on the services of religious relief agencies for the implementation of refugee assistance. These agencies are for their part equally dependent on the government for funds, for strategic assistance, and for the freedom to function in many parts of the
world. National security and foreign policy considerations often overwhelm humanitarian concerns. A number of hard questions emerge. Do certain religious groups receive preferential treatment for political reasons? Is the church/state relationship abroad compatible with constitutional guarantees of
religious freedom? Have the refugees--and the religious groups helping them--become mere political pawns in the global power struggle?
After reviewing the history of U.S. government relations with religious relief agencies, the author closely examines three politically explosive refugee situations: Honduras, Thailand, and the Sudan. As the Sanctuary trials in the United States have demonstrated, treatment of Salvadoran and
Guatemalan refugees has been greatly complicated by the conflicting attitudes of liberal religious groups and the U.S. and Honduran governments. By contrast, an evangelical group working with Laotian refugees in Thailand found itself inadvertently embroiled in U.S. policy debates over Laos and
Vietnam. While in the Sudan, Nichols discovers close ties between religious relief organizations and the U.S. government in the surreptitious and extra-legal manueverings to remove the Falashas (Ethiopian Jews) to Israel.
Nichols concludes that increasing political and moral disagreement between the government and the religious community now threatens the American tradition of worldwide humanitarian assistance and at the same time mirrors the wider loss of consensus in American foreign policy. He ends on a note of
cautious optimism with a proposal for guidelines for responsible future coexistence and cooperation between church and state abroad.

Kennedy and Roosevelt: The Uneasy Alliance

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Kennedy and Roosevelt: The Uneasy Alliance
Michael R. Beschloss
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0060970952

The European Union and developing countries' non-trade concerns: An uneasy alliance?

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The European Union and developing countries' non-trade concerns: An uneasy alliance?
Biswajit Dhar
Manufacturer: Research and Information System for the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Harlequin Men Made in America Series, No. 33 thru 40: The Security Man; A Class Act; Too Near the Fire; A Time and a Season; Uneasy Alliance; The Wrong Man; The Bargain; The Last Frontier

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Harlequin Men Made in America Series, No. 33 thru 40: The Security Man; A Class Act; Too Near the Fire; A Time and a Season; Uneasy Alliance; The Wrong Man; The Bargain; The Last Frontier
Dixie; Eagle, Kathleen; McKenna, Lindsay; Matlock; Curtiss Ann; Krentz, Jayne Ann; Major, Ann; Couglin, Patricia; flanders, Rebecca; Langan, Ruth; Schuler, Candace; James, Stephanie Browning
Manufacturer: Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000VPRER6

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