Finally managed to finish reading the above book over the festive season.
The ending hits like a rather unpleasant tackle whilst playing a dominant team, an expected result.
Anyway, I enjoyed some fine writing from Edmund Marlowe. Alexander indeed makes his choice and the plot heads in a familiar direction. There is no getting away from it, 'school boy' romance tends to be something read through the cracks in one hands as one flinches at the on page action.
Of course when I finished reading, I can understand why our hero was called Alexander, it is all in the Greek references. My hero nearly had the same name but in the end I went for the slightly more obscure Russian variant Alexei in honour of his slightly fiery nature and because I wanted to use the familiar version of Sacha.
I too nearly came out with the same ending but veered away at the last moment when I realised there was an alternate ending, which most people can relate to.
Anyway I recommend reading Alexander's Choice.
In the mean time, happy new year!
Ian
The ending hits like a rather unpleasant tackle whilst playing a dominant team, an expected result.
Anyway, I enjoyed some fine writing from Edmund Marlowe. Alexander indeed makes his choice and the plot heads in a familiar direction. There is no getting away from it, 'school boy' romance tends to be something read through the cracks in one hands as one flinches at the on page action.
Of course when I finished reading, I can understand why our hero was called Alexander, it is all in the Greek references. My hero nearly had the same name but in the end I went for the slightly more obscure Russian variant Alexei in honour of his slightly fiery nature and because I wanted to use the familiar version of Sacha.
I too nearly came out with the same ending but veered away at the last moment when I realised there was an alternate ending, which most people can relate to.
Anyway I recommend reading Alexander's Choice.
In the mean time, happy new year!
Ian
But Sacha is no equivalent Alexey.
ReplyDeleteПо-русски:
Александр = Саша
Алексей = Алёша (Alyosha)
Thanks for your amazing book.
Yuri,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments. There must have been some confusion within the family over Sacha's nickname or they just chose to use the 'wrong' nickname as Alyosha does not really work in English whereas at the time the name Sacha was familiar due to Sacha Distel, the French singer (indeed Sacha himself alludes to the connection to Sacha Distal which he disliked intensely) .
Ian
Thank you. This is a plausible explanation.
ReplyDeleteHave just finished reading 'Alexanders Choice'. My initial impression was its volume, at 416 pages, quite unusual in this genre. Given that, I looked forward to a substantial and consuming read, and I was not disappointed. I thought overall that the work ought to be a modern classic.
ReplyDeleteThe template of Greek Love used in the story, I thought was excellently rendered. I also saw overtones of 'Romeo & Juliet' too. Julian irritated me to the nth degree and I was about to throw the book out of the window before the plot changed.
It is a beautiful story, both poignant and haunting. I subsequently read all the reviews of this book and was amused at the umbrage expressed concerning the erotic parts. I felt that they were slightly low key but very suitably expressed within the context of the book. I also felt that the ending was very suitable too - a fine exposition, the pathos very moving and haunting...and so telling of modern society.
It did actually leave me quite bereft and I felt the need to pick up the book again and re-read it from where Damian enters his life.
All in all, an excellent read, clever and subtle too, hauntingly and beautifully rendered.