Manfredi book review

[marcus]

I have to confess that I don't know how long Janet's review of the Manfredi trilogy has been up in the books section, so this might be old hat.Well done, Janet. It's a good, pretty objective review, and I clearly understood what 'pressed your buttons'. I don't know if it will change my own impressions of the trilogy, but it certainly can't be said that we're not giving Manfredi a fair hearing - now, at least!All the bestMarcus

[jan]

Thank you, Marcus. I appreciate your comments.

[dean]

Hello,I don't know but part of me says that Manfredi did his homework well or had a team of specialists who did it for him. I don't know which but his historical info isn't all that bad. I remember discussing with you a while ago the activity of Aristotle in the trilogy a good while ago.Aristotle in the Manfredi books is depicted as an ancient sherlock Holmes investigating the death of Philip.He finally concludes that the oracle of Delphi was the culprit because the celtic knife fits perfectly into the wall at the temple.
I don't know how he came to that conclusion. He also seems to opt for the dubious version of Curtius of the Achillean punishment of Batis being dragged alive round the walls of Gaza.His Alexander is always the good guy no matter what. I enjoyed the books because they aren't too complicated.Renault is obviously in a whole different literary league but Manfredi still has his place on my bookshelf.Take care,
Dean.

[jan]

While I never expect to convert anyone to the books that Manfredi wrote, one sentence struck a chord within me when I read it. Alexander is supposed to say, "I am on my own." That I believe appears in the green colored book, the third To The Ends of The Earth. I am very suspicious, therefore, of the author's intent.But I just learned thanks to the Alexander film site that the movie that is starring Leonardo DiCaprio is based upon this trilogy. That does make a lot of sense to me as it was in the Robinson May Company where I found Leo sitting waiting for his girlfriend.Old Alexander (at 32) would love this dedication to young Alexander. It is almost as bad as trying to decide which Elvis we like better, old or young, for a postage stamp.By chance today, I happened to learn more about Leonardo DiCaprio as a travel program show showed his early beginnings when he was just an infant in California. He grew up in common surroundings as a child. He probably has a strong foundation so that his head is not turned by the Hollywood attention. Any child who is raised in that kind of neighborhood always remembers who he really is so I don't expect to believe the prima donna status that is now being accorded to him. He seemed pretty normal to me.Not a bit pretentious! Just another California brat! Was it Manfredi who wanted Sisygambis to be portrayed by Sophia Loren? I saw that on one of these Alexander sites, that some professor has already decided who he would like to see play the roles? I thought that perfectly wonderful. I like Sisygambis so much, and Sophia is too, too beautiful for words.nuff from me for now.