Malouf's fable engraves the epic themes of the Trojan war onto a perfect miniature
Malouf's fable engraves the epic themes of the Trojan war onto a perfect miniature
David Malouf shines new light on Homer’s Iliad, adding twists and reflections, as well as flashes of earthy humour, to surprise and enchant. In this exquisite gem of a novel, Achilles is maddened by grief at the death of his friend Patroclus. From the walls of Troy, King Priam watches the body of his son, Hector, being dragged behind Achilles’ chariot. There must be a way, he thinks, of reclaiming the body - of pitting compromise against heroics, new ways against the old, and of forcing the hand of fate. Dressed simply and in a cart pulled by a mule, an old man sets off for the Greek camp ...
Lyrical, immediate and heartbreaking Malouf’s fable engraves the epic themes of the Trojan war onto a perfect miniature - themes of war and heroics, hubris and humanity, chance and fate, the bonds between soldiers, fathers and sons, all newly burnished and brilliantly recast for our times.
ALS Gold Medal Award
Winner • 2009 • ALS Gold Medal Award
Queensland Literary Awards
Shortlisted • 2009 • Queensland Literary Awards
The Age Book of the Year Award
Shortlisted • 2009 • The Age Book of the Year Award
WA Premier's Literary Awards
Shortlisted • 2009 • WA Premier's Literary Award (Fiction)
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature
Winner • 2010 • Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature
APA Book Design Awards
Shortlisted • 2010 • APA Book Design Awards
NSW Premier's Literary Awards
Shortlisted • 2010 • NSW Premier's Literary Awards
Prime Minister's Literary Awards
Shortlisted • 2010 • Prime Minister's Literary Awards