Novels of Hephaestion

[jan]

Does anyone know of any novels that are about Hephaestion? Either through his point of view or about him?

[susan]

Renault - Fire from Heaven

[S]

Greetings Jan,
I know of one completed but not published yet, another project that has taken over 30 years to complete but the author may elect not to go for publication and a third that features Hephaestion as a primary character that is underway in Ohio, in fits and starts.
All are, in my opinion, good reads, and I hope to see more about them in future. Perhaps on Pothos!
Regards,
Sikander
PS: Sorry about the "S"- forgot to log on

[Tre]

The only published one that I know of from Hephaistion's point of view is 'In the Shadow of A God,' by Susan Spitzer. I haven't read it, but I hear it's dreadful. I requested it via interlibary loan but it came on microfiche but since I knew it was bad, I didn't want to bother with a machine to read it.

[jan]

Thank you, as I would love to read a great book from Hephaestion's point of view. It has struck me that his drinking himself to death when he was told to lay off the booze was almost an act of killing himself. I am halfway angry at him for not listening to his doctor. I wonder what his last thoughts were when he is so ill.Thank you, Susan, for the recommendation. I admit that I own a couple of books by Renault but have not read them yet. Like someone whose response to Manfredi was that she couldn't get past page 35 of his book Child of Dreams, I had difficulty in Renault's projection of herself into Alexander in the first book I began to read, and pushed it aside too. I will one day read them, but I have emotional hangups occasionally.Sikander, thanks for the tantalizing tease. I just finished reading an excellent book on the affair of the poisons called the Oracle Glass and it made me long for a book about Hephaestion. I wonder at who it is who can stand to be second fiddle to a star like Alexander other than Ed McMahon in his role next to Johnny Carson. It makes me think anyway.Hephaestion, to my way of thinking, is a very special person to be such a loyal and trusted friend for that many years. It will take a very great author to write such a book.I wish that Jeanne Zimmerman with her many years of experience would encourage someone to do it, or that she would.

[susan]

I think that you would be well-advised to read Renault - her books are probably much better than the other published novels about Alexander. The books that you have been reading so far - Weigall, O'Brien - are not by major historians, so you will only be seeing one side.If you are serious about finding about Alexander I would read Curtius for a real feel of the complexities of the person - Arrian's good but rather one-dimensional. There's no substitute for reading the ancient sources - after all they were 2000 years closer to the subject, and they lived in a similar world.
If you want to read around the subject, look at Tim Spalding's site
http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/alexa ... htmlYou'll find plenty here to answer your questions about their characters.Susan

[susa]

he did not drink himself to death! what about --- he got sick, then he died? why does it have to be a dramatic finale, always? have you read z's text 'bout him? do go there, she is sound.s

[Hephestia]

I don't agree with Jeanne's review."In the shadow of a god" is an interesting book,well-documented and it's the only novel where Hephaistion is the main character.

[jan]

Hi Sikander, I wrote you a message that is on hold as I decided to give it a few days. I have Michael Woods book In the Footsteps of Alexander, and it has stimulated more "dreams" or visual experiences. I have debated whether to share or not to share the images as I don't always know about the receptivity. But as I have been watching the Tour de France, I thought it may have been an influence anyway.At any rate, I had an aerial vision which showed me once again the massive number of troops that marched through Asia Minor. They had red plumes bobbing, and I wondered if that is probable. I checked the book and sure enough, modern day Pakistani's are wearing red atop their heads, but that is not the same image that I had seen. I could not find any article of clothing which was similar to the picture. But my question is also what kind of roads or pathways did these troops travel upon? In this particular scenario they were in such a large batallion that they took up the entire landscape. But I could see them moving along. I decided that maybe Footsteps is leading me on. Actually, watching Alexander's troops in this manner made me think of the song Onward Christian Soldiers. Strange thoughts one muses to one's self.Confessing one other aspect of the comparison between Alexander and Louis XIV, I admit that not only did Alexander and Cleitos argue heatedly before Cleito's death but also Louis XIV and Philip, his younger brother, argued heatedly before Philip succumbed in a fit of apoplexy. It struck me odd as I have considered the purpose of "dreams" and "visions" in one's subconscious surfacing. It made me think so that I resolve to keep my arguments to a minimum. Learning from history.LO!Best regards,Jan

[jan]

Thank you, Susan, I think that is good advice and I will take it. I picked up my copy of Fire From Heaven and decided that I will attempt it. It looks interesting as there is lots of dialogue.I am going to see if I can find Persian Boy today.I will probably have to go to the main library to find copies of Curtius. I have been reading Michael Woods book, IN the Footsteps of Alexander, and he quotes from ancient sources also. It helps me to understand how the ancients are used in the works of contemporary historians.I like the site that Jorge Mateos suggested for a study of Hephaestion as Jeanne Zimmerman's credentials are very impressive. Her website is simply fascinating.Sikander has been very helpful for me to gain an understanding of the complexities of personalities who are attracted to the subject matter. It is helpful to have compassion and understanding in this kind of study. I appreciate knowing each and every person's background who makes a contribution. Erudite scholars often frighten the young away as I learned from one Alexander website.My intent was to target the reading group for my approach to Alexander. I have thought that a series of popup books which feature a physical attribute for each historical personality would give children a collectible. In other words, Alexander's life story might include a copy of the Gordian Knot, or some other device which would make the book a collectible to keep. Just ideas yet. Copy for a children's book is fairly simple. Making it a favorite is another problem to solve. I have learned more about Alexander through the children's rooms than I have in the adult sections. I most of all would like a collection of stories about him as some are really quite interesting, warm, and friendly. I notice that historians stick only to the skeletal facts. But one of my favorites is the time when he donned women's clothing to save the women from a group who were about to do them harm. I have yet to hear anyone ask questions about that story. Some of the stories about Roxanne placing a knife under her pillow on her wedding night so that she could kill him fascinate me. Could that be true? What ever happened that she didn't attempt it? Or is it nonsense and fluff?Thanks for the recommendation about Renault. I will try to get into her thoughts as soon as I can.Jan

[Linda]

I've got a dilemma now - I have found a copy of the book, but it is over 100 dollars. Is it worth it to buy..?Am I mental?L

[Hephestia]

Hi Linda, greetings from France,"In the shadow of a god" is an interesting book,it has curiosity value for Hephaistion's fans like me but it isn't worth spending 100 dollars for it.It is too expensive;but I understand you.