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Requiem For Athens
Immersed in the turbulent politics and fratricidal wars of Ancient Greece, Phidias is wounded in battle and joins Aristotle as a student of Plato.A witness to epic battles, bloody assassinations, and twisted conspiracies, he struggles to guide the young conqueror through his personal turmoil.
After giving birth to the great library of Alexandria, Phidias with perseverance finally returns to Athens to fulfill his destiny and find a lost love. This epic tale of love and war, sex and murder deftly captures the setting in Ancient Greece to stunning effect.
After giving birth to the great library of Alexandria, Phidias with perseverance finally returns to Athens to fulfill his destiny and find a lost love. This epic tale of love and war, sex and murder deftly captures the setting in Ancient Greece to stunning effect.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
312 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2013
About the author
David Alkek
3 books28 followersDavid Alkek is the award winning author of three books, a contemporary mystery set in Dallas, a book of science and philosophy that investigates the purpose of the universe, and his newly released third book, A Requiem for Athens is historical fiction.
A dermatologist for over 40 years, David draws from his medical and scientific background to create his books. He is an avid reader and credits Arthur Conan Doyle, John Grisham, James Patterson, and Isaac Asimov for providing his inspiration.
In his free time David likes to write, play poker, garden, and attend writer’s workshops and book clubs. What David does not enjoy is being bored.
A dermatologist for over 40 years, David draws from his medical and scientific background to create his books. He is an avid reader and credits Arthur Conan Doyle, John Grisham, James Patterson, and Isaac Asimov for providing his inspiration.
In his free time David likes to write, play poker, garden, and attend writer’s workshops and book clubs. What David does not enjoy is being bored.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 22, 2013
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an unbiased review.
Have you ever wondered what it was like in the time of ancient Greece? Not just a bullet-point presentation of facts, but what possibly drove some of history's great events? David Alkek explores the time of Alexander the Great in such a fashion, giving an overview of the lives of great philosophers such as Aristotle; great artists like Phidias.
Although historical fiction, all events within REQUIEM FOR ATHENS seem plausible. I felt throughout that I was watching through a crack in time - witnessing events as a carefree observer. I enjoyed that Alkek didn't develop the characters too heavily, because they are not made-up figures. Each man and woman's character speaks for itself, through triumph and tragedy. REQUIEM reads easily enough, and I enjoyed the following of different characters' lives.
Studies of Greek and Macedonian customs, politics, and morals are delved into as part of the storyline. There are a few 'graphic' scenes regarding how women dressed and their roles in society, so this is not a book intended for children. I could have done without those descriptions, but they are easily skipped over if you wish.
Overall, I would read more historical fiction from this author, as he seems to do his homework. I only wish history books were this interesting! Happy reading.
Have you ever wondered what it was like in the time of ancient Greece? Not just a bullet-point presentation of facts, but what possibly drove some of history's great events? David Alkek explores the time of Alexander the Great in such a fashion, giving an overview of the lives of great philosophers such as Aristotle; great artists like Phidias.
Although historical fiction, all events within REQUIEM FOR ATHENS seem plausible. I felt throughout that I was watching through a crack in time - witnessing events as a carefree observer. I enjoyed that Alkek didn't develop the characters too heavily, because they are not made-up figures. Each man and woman's character speaks for itself, through triumph and tragedy. REQUIEM reads easily enough, and I enjoyed the following of different characters' lives.
Studies of Greek and Macedonian customs, politics, and morals are delved into as part of the storyline. There are a few 'graphic' scenes regarding how women dressed and their roles in society, so this is not a book intended for children. I could have done without those descriptions, but they are easily skipped over if you wish.
Overall, I would read more historical fiction from this author, as he seems to do his homework. I only wish history books were this interesting! Happy reading.
February 6, 2017
I managed to trudge my way through this novel, though just barely. What could have been an exciting and interesting story is bogged down by the author’s so much telling, rather than showing. All the research he did is evident, and quite impressive, but too often all that information inundates the story. What a good editing could have done!
Moreover, none of the characters held my attention, even Alexander the Great, who is an interest of mine. Again, the telling instead of showing kept the characters at a distance. It was as if the characters were only there in order to highlight the author’s research. Unfortunately, I found this an all-around disappointing novel.
Moreover, none of the characters held my attention, even Alexander the Great, who is an interest of mine. Again, the telling instead of showing kept the characters at a distance. It was as if the characters were only there in order to highlight the author’s research. Unfortunately, I found this an all-around disappointing novel.
July 26, 2014
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. Right from the start I knew I was going to like it because of the historical subject matter. I have always been interested in history especially this particular area and time period.
I enjoyed how the story started off with Phidias in Athens, then followed him throughout many adventures with Alexander, until finally coming full circle with Phidias back in Athens. Throughout the book I was finding that most of the politics and morals discussed mirrored our own society. As King Solomon said, "There is nothing new under the sun." That quote is relevant throughout this entire book.
The story came to life for me when we learned about King Philip, his wife, Olympias and their son, Alexander. I was fascinated learning about their lives and how Aristotle and Phidias had a huge role in the education of Alexander. I loved following Alexander's life through his many war campaigns. Too bad his life was unfortunately a short one.
The author, David Alkek, brought this historical time period and events to life through his wonderfully told story. It was well researched and well told. I didn't want it to end.
I enjoyed how the story started off with Phidias in Athens, then followed him throughout many adventures with Alexander, until finally coming full circle with Phidias back in Athens. Throughout the book I was finding that most of the politics and morals discussed mirrored our own society. As King Solomon said, "There is nothing new under the sun." That quote is relevant throughout this entire book.
The story came to life for me when we learned about King Philip, his wife, Olympias and their son, Alexander. I was fascinated learning about their lives and how Aristotle and Phidias had a huge role in the education of Alexander. I loved following Alexander's life through his many war campaigns. Too bad his life was unfortunately a short one.
The author, David Alkek, brought this historical time period and events to life through his wonderfully told story. It was well researched and well told. I didn't want it to end.
June 6, 2013
It's obvious to this reader that Dr. Alkek has thoroughly researched his novel, and there's much interesting material contained in the text for those who are interested in a Greece which is simultaneously spreading her culture throughout the known world while destroying herself at home.
What's missing in this book is a strong lead character and a compelling plot to weave that research into a cohesive whole.
Requiem For Athens documents social and political life in Athens, as well as the schools of philosophical thought which flourished there, but more fiction to flesh out the characters and integrate them into the events of the period would make this a stronger book.
What's missing in this book is a strong lead character and a compelling plot to weave that research into a cohesive whole.
Requiem For Athens documents social and political life in Athens, as well as the schools of philosophical thought which flourished there, but more fiction to flesh out the characters and integrate them into the events of the period would make this a stronger book.
December 3, 2017
This was a 3.5 star read for me, but rounding up to 4.
There was a series of Victorian children's books, Peeps at Many Lands. (If you're interested, there are several available for free on Project Gutenberg.) They were aimed at children—or their parents—who were seeking educational matter about other countries or periods in history, but told as a story to keep it interesting. I've worked on bits and pieces of some of them at Distributed Proofreaders, and they're fun books.
Requiem for Athens kind of had the same feeling—though there is some risque content, which makes this particular book not safe for younger readers. It covers a turbulent period of Greek history, probably spanning somewhere around 70 or 80 years in all, around the time of Alexander the Great. The first part of the story follows Phidias, from his birth up to his becoming a philosopher. Along the way he studies under Plato, and becomes a close companion of Aristotle. Eventually he and Aristotle are hired as tutors by Alexander's father, Phillip of Macedon. As Alexander grows up and becomes king himself, Phidias follows along, recording Alexander's conquests. Phidias eventually works for Ptolemy, building the library at Alexandria, before he finally moves back to his beloved Greece.
I found this book fascinating, but quite slow-going due to the huge time-span covered and the enormous number of bits and pieces of history and philosophy mentioned within. Trying to take everything in meant I was only reading a few pages at a time, and it left me with a certain disjointed feeling. Again due to what was included, nothing seemed to be discussed in any sort of depth, and the characters had a certain shallowness to them, which was a shame. The point of view shifts from Phidias to Alexander part way through the book, then back to Phidias again, and I wonder if perhaps it might have been better if the entire story had been told from Phidias' point of view. There are also a monumental number of characters in the book, who might play a major part or who might only appear once, but it was never easy to tell which would be the case, as I'm not that familiar with this particular patch of history. Trying to keep track of them all was a struggle for me at times.
That said, this was an enjoyable and sometimes fascinating overview of the rise and fall of Alexander, and the author has clearly done a staggering amount of research. I would have liked more depth to some parts of the story, and the diversions into philosophical discourse made the narration drag on occasion, but there was plenty of action and political intrigue to liven up proceedings. It is perhaps that there was just so much going on in that period of history that it's an almost impossible task to try to cover it all in one book without passing over fine detail.
There was a series of Victorian children's books, Peeps at Many Lands. (If you're interested, there are several available for free on Project Gutenberg.) They were aimed at children—or their parents—who were seeking educational matter about other countries or periods in history, but told as a story to keep it interesting. I've worked on bits and pieces of some of them at Distributed Proofreaders, and they're fun books.
Requiem for Athens kind of had the same feeling—though there is some risque content, which makes this particular book not safe for younger readers. It covers a turbulent period of Greek history, probably spanning somewhere around 70 or 80 years in all, around the time of Alexander the Great. The first part of the story follows Phidias, from his birth up to his becoming a philosopher. Along the way he studies under Plato, and becomes a close companion of Aristotle. Eventually he and Aristotle are hired as tutors by Alexander's father, Phillip of Macedon. As Alexander grows up and becomes king himself, Phidias follows along, recording Alexander's conquests. Phidias eventually works for Ptolemy, building the library at Alexandria, before he finally moves back to his beloved Greece.
I found this book fascinating, but quite slow-going due to the huge time-span covered and the enormous number of bits and pieces of history and philosophy mentioned within. Trying to take everything in meant I was only reading a few pages at a time, and it left me with a certain disjointed feeling. Again due to what was included, nothing seemed to be discussed in any sort of depth, and the characters had a certain shallowness to them, which was a shame. The point of view shifts from Phidias to Alexander part way through the book, then back to Phidias again, and I wonder if perhaps it might have been better if the entire story had been told from Phidias' point of view. There are also a monumental number of characters in the book, who might play a major part or who might only appear once, but it was never easy to tell which would be the case, as I'm not that familiar with this particular patch of history. Trying to keep track of them all was a struggle for me at times.
That said, this was an enjoyable and sometimes fascinating overview of the rise and fall of Alexander, and the author has clearly done a staggering amount of research. I would have liked more depth to some parts of the story, and the diversions into philosophical discourse made the narration drag on occasion, but there was plenty of action and political intrigue to liven up proceedings. It is perhaps that there was just so much going on in that period of history that it's an almost impossible task to try to cover it all in one book without passing over fine detail.
November 7, 2013
**I received this book for free from the author in exchange for my honest opinion**
I am in love with ancient Greece and Rome, so it was extra exciting to read this book for me. Alkek really got into detail about what went on in the average Athenian’s life, including aspects which I assume a lot of authors would shy away from. While some may think that this makes the novel a little too risqué at parts, I think it adds to the book. How can you accurately depict Athens during this time period if you do not put the good, the bad, and the ugly? It would be false representation.
I became very attached to Alkek’s main character, Phidias. I wanted the best for him at every turn, and when his heart was broken I wept for him. As much as I love Aristotle, I wanted to pull him aside, shake him, and demand to know why he would put into motion the separation of Phidias and Thais (of course, I am pretty sure that he truly believed Thais when she said she did not love Phidias anymore, so I do not think he was doing anything mean; he was just naïve, unfortunately). My tears intensified at his death, and I could barely read the words on the page when Thais found the poem that he had written right before his death. When there were long spans of pages without talking about Phidias, I yearned for his reappearance. While the book is about so much more than Phidias, I was happiest when I was learning about his life.
One thing did bother me, but not enough to keep me from enjoying this book immensely. Sometimes a year or more would elapse between one scene and the next. At times, I felt cheated out of learning more about Phidias and the other characters and what occurred in their lives during those missed periods. There was actually a scene at the very beginning, right after Phidias’s birth that I had to read a couple of times to figure out when it was occurring. I am still not positive that I came to the correct conclusion. I suppose nothing truly important happened during these skipped times; however, I wish that I could have read about them nonetheless.
Overall, this was an exciting, interesting, and informative book. I recommend it to anyone who loves ancient Greece and/or the conquests of Philip and Alexander. I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I am in love with ancient Greece and Rome, so it was extra exciting to read this book for me. Alkek really got into detail about what went on in the average Athenian’s life, including aspects which I assume a lot of authors would shy away from. While some may think that this makes the novel a little too risqué at parts, I think it adds to the book. How can you accurately depict Athens during this time period if you do not put the good, the bad, and the ugly? It would be false representation.
I became very attached to Alkek’s main character, Phidias. I wanted the best for him at every turn, and when his heart was broken I wept for him. As much as I love Aristotle, I wanted to pull him aside, shake him, and demand to know why he would put into motion the separation of Phidias and Thais (of course, I am pretty sure that he truly believed Thais when she said she did not love Phidias anymore, so I do not think he was doing anything mean; he was just naïve, unfortunately). My tears intensified at his death, and I could barely read the words on the page when Thais found the poem that he had written right before his death. When there were long spans of pages without talking about Phidias, I yearned for his reappearance. While the book is about so much more than Phidias, I was happiest when I was learning about his life.
One thing did bother me, but not enough to keep me from enjoying this book immensely. Sometimes a year or more would elapse between one scene and the next. At times, I felt cheated out of learning more about Phidias and the other characters and what occurred in their lives during those missed periods. There was actually a scene at the very beginning, right after Phidias’s birth that I had to read a couple of times to figure out when it was occurring. I am still not positive that I came to the correct conclusion. I suppose nothing truly important happened during these skipped times; however, I wish that I could have read about them nonetheless.
Overall, this was an exciting, interesting, and informative book. I recommend it to anyone who loves ancient Greece and/or the conquests of Philip and Alexander. I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2013
Dr Alkek kindly provided the copy of the book for this review, he even signed it. Thanks again.
Let me start by saying that I enjoyed Requiem for Athens, it is a look at a fascinating and important period of the history of the west through a fictional lens.
However, if you have even taken a fiction writing course, one of the things they hammer into you is "show not tell", this book contains a lot of telling. Information that would have been better conveyed through character dialog or other in setting way, you are simply told, including things that the characters would have no way of knowing (like future events). The story also veers from its original focus character to Alexander the Great and then back after Alexander's death, it would have been better to have focused on the point of view of Phidias alone. Again, it was a good book, but it could have been so much better.
Let me start by saying that I enjoyed Requiem for Athens, it is a look at a fascinating and important period of the history of the west through a fictional lens.
However, if you have even taken a fiction writing course, one of the things they hammer into you is "show not tell", this book contains a lot of telling. Information that would have been better conveyed through character dialog or other in setting way, you are simply told, including things that the characters would have no way of knowing (like future events). The story also veers from its original focus character to Alexander the Great and then back after Alexander's death, it would have been better to have focused on the point of view of Phidias alone. Again, it was a good book, but it could have been so much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2013
Author requested review in exchange for novel
This is a compelling novel set during the time of Aristotle and Alexander. I found myself marveling at the parallels to today. I found myself substituting Democrats and Republicans into the story! The story was very well researched and quite believable. The main character, Phidias, was a philosopher who studied with Aristotle and eventually travelled the world with Alexander as he conquered new territory.
I am most impressed with Dr. Alkek's research and his fictionalization of his character while using real historical figures/places. The comments on what happens to a society that loses its middle class are timely! It could be read as a commentary on today's world!
This is a compelling novel set during the time of Aristotle and Alexander. I found myself marveling at the parallels to today. I found myself substituting Democrats and Republicans into the story! The story was very well researched and quite believable. The main character, Phidias, was a philosopher who studied with Aristotle and eventually travelled the world with Alexander as he conquered new territory.
I am most impressed with Dr. Alkek's research and his fictionalization of his character while using real historical figures/places. The comments on what happens to a society that loses its middle class are timely! It could be read as a commentary on today's world!
October 22, 2013
So the first few pages (24 or more) were of Phidias and his past. They explained what he went through to become a teacher for Plato's Academy. Most of the books was on politics and war which I don't really mind but politics drives me mad. It was well written though and I enjoyed the book immensely!
His (Phidias) death was heart-breaking and I cried through it. What can I say? I'm a romantic. The synopsis is pretty straight forward but I hope I did the book justice all the same. It was very interesting but I'm a slow reader when it comes to historical fiction. Hope you enjoyed and agree with my review!
For more please go to http://nookbookmerlin.blogspot.com/20...
His (Phidias) death was heart-breaking and I cried through it. What can I say? I'm a romantic. The synopsis is pretty straight forward but I hope I did the book justice all the same. It was very interesting but I'm a slow reader when it comes to historical fiction. Hope you enjoyed and agree with my review!
For more please go to http://nookbookmerlin.blogspot.com/20...
August 28, 2013
REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. IT IS ABOUT THE GREATEST GREEK PHILOSOPHERS AND POLITICS. THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING IN THIS BOOK. FROM SEX, LOVE, WAR, POLITICS, HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY. IT IS A HARD BOOK TO PUT DOWN. REALLY ENJOYED READING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE GREEKS.
April 29, 2013
ancient Greece always catches my attention-smile
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews