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by Boomert - Ransom by David Malouf 11 Jan 2010
What is the essence of good, old-fashioned storytelling? War, revenge, honour and humility? The ability to recognise or be enlightened by some essence of truth, some essence of life in the characters? David Malouf ’s Ransom is a classic story, told in a controlled, yet flowing and descriptive style. It follows Achilles’ vengeful killing of Hector, and the subsequent days where he dishonours the body, literally dragging it through the dirt before the city of Troy. Priam, King of Troy and father of Hector, comes to a decision to enter into ‘chance’ against the gods, and sheds his royal accoutrements to confront Achilles, as a man and a father, to request the body of his son. The main part of the book takes place on Priam’s journey with a common carter who has been hired for the trip. The King and the carter are two ageing men, and the common man inspires an openness and curiosity in the King. In some places, descriptions of Priam are reminiscent of King Lear, in his reversions to childlike innocence, and his rash instinctual decisions. The centre of the book is philosophical, moving, and hard to shake from the senses. Recurring Malouf themes of masculine roles and ways of relating between classes are present— including an observation of intimate versus reserved fatherhoods. There is also the notion of chance versus the divine hand, and related to this, death’s inevitability, along with birth and other renewals. In Priam’s recognitions of small things, like the trickling stream around his feet, or the curiosity sparked in him by the common man’s description of his daughterin- law, we recognise our own smallness and common ground with others, even our enemies. This book soon enveloped me, yet I think it will be difficult to push to the general public. Hopefully Malouf ’s name and the ambiguous cover will intrigue, as there has to be a place for stylised stories like this. In fact, fiction and truth, history, myth and memory are all themes which emerge in this slim book. If someone has a strong interest in classic literature, history, or is even drawn to fantasy novels (often built up from myth and history, and notions of honour) they will probably treasure this, as will anyone who enjoys literature on a sentence-level. Malouf ’s rendering of Ancient Greece is gorgeous, fantastical, and yet earthly, humble, and relatable. I strongly hope Ransom finds an audience.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (April 2009, Vol 88, No 6.) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.

Author Biography: David Malouf
David Malouf is the author of short story collections Dream Stuff and Every Move You Make, and of acclaimed novels including The Great World (winner of the Commonwealth Writers' and Miles Franklin Prizes) and Remembering Babylon (shortlisted for the Booker Prize and winner of the Impac Dublin Literary Award). He also writes poetry, drama and libretti for operas. Born and brought up in Brisbane, he lives in Sydney.

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