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Paul Waters: Of Merchants and Heroes

04.12.07 | Benedicte Page

Tom Tivnan writes:

Of Merchants and Heroes seems an odd title; my first thought was business book on retail entrepreneurs rather than an adventure and love story set in the third century B.C. Rome and Greece. It has a part snooze-fest, part swashbuckler ring, like calling a new espionage novel Of Spreadsheets and Spies. 
 
Yet Paul Waters’ debut (Macmillan, February) starts with a bang – the ship that fourteen-year-old Marcus and his father are sailing to Greece on is attacked by pirates. Taken ashore to be sold into slavery, Marcus manages to escape, which costs his father his life. Eventually making it back home, Marcus vows revenge upon pirate captain Dikaiarchos, saying he won’t rest until he is dead.
 
What cunning plan does Marcus go about exact his vengeance? Um, going into business. Yes, this book really is about merchants. So we get chapter after chapter as Marcus matures to manhood, of him working for his new stepfather, the grasping Caecilius, on the family farm and import business. I was never much interested in Roman animal husbandry and ship manifests… and well, I still am not. 
 
Yet, it’s not all dull. Marcus gets in with Roman movers and shakers and eventually becomes entrenched in Rome’s war with Philip of Macedonia. The feuding between Rome and her allies is deftly handled, and the battle scenes move along briskly.
 
Along the way, Marcus falls in love. With another young man, the beautiful Menexenos. Yes, Marcus is gay, something a reader with even the most blunted gaydar notices on, oh, page 10. Yet it takes Marcus about a 150 long, tortuous navel-gazing pages for him to come to terms with it. The whole Marcus and Menexenos love story is perhaps wildly ahistorical – I don’t think the ancients had too many hang-ups about same sex relationships as some moderns do. It’s very PG as well, perhaps Waters or his editors at Pan Macmillan, did not want to alienate the hairy-chested heteros who make up the sword and sandal book demographic.  A shame, really. If Waters wrote as well about Eros as Mars this might have been a far more interesting debut.
 

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By Helen

Although I found the writing style a little simplistic, for the first part of this novel (up to about p. 200) I found it reasonable interesting and engaging. However, after that point I became a little bored, much of the story was repetitious, similar events happening over and over which did nothing to move the story along or contribute to the meaning. As for Marcus and Menexenos...the gap between them getting together and the point they first had sex was stretched beyond credulity; it had become the most blundering of white elephants. I read on and on and on as they smiled and gazed and kissed, but strangely they both seemed untroubled by the rampant hormones that would have got anyone else into bed at a much earlier point.

This book could have been half the length and twice as good. And comparing it with Mary Renault? Yikes. Definitely not worthy. Her writing has a depth to it that this book can only dream of.

Sat, 07/02/2009 - 17:37
By Sue P

I am half way through this book and can't put it down. The flow of language and beautiful description are one thing but the information I am gleaning from the period is great. Paul Waters is an excellent writer.

Sun, 16/11/2008 - 00:21
By jezzat1

It's out at the beginning of February. Do try it.

Sun, 09/12/2007 - 02:22
By JEvans

I'm certainly intrigued. When it is out?

Fri, 07/12/2007 - 12:52
By jezzaT1

This is a much more complex and interesting novel than Tom Tivnan seems to have read. I think perhaps it's just not a novel for him. Fair enough. However, just to set the record straight none of the chapters you site are exclusively, by any means, dominated by scene-setting you site. Your hysterical reaction suggests to me that this is allsome sort of attempt to generate debate on the Bookseller's rather moribund blogs.

Fri, 07/12/2007 - 01:25
By Tom Tivnan

I did indeed read the entirety of the book. Manfully struggled through it, though at times I was irritated by the objections I have pointed to above, and admit to considering chucking it aside.

So there are not chapters and chapters about farming and the import/export business? Let

Thu, 06/12/2007 - 13:10
By Tomus Disappearus

Where's Tom's highly entertaining reply to Jezza'a response gone? Informed debate no longer acceptable here?

Thu, 06/12/2007 - 12:32
By jezzaT1

As the editor for the book I'm slightly astonished by this review which misrepresents large sections of the book. Particularly the comment about 'chapters and chapters' about merchants. I suspect Tom Tivnan read the title and skimmed the book. There is no inkling on page 10 of anything to to with the main character's sexuality. I'll leave it to others, who have actually read the book, to redress the balance. Manda Scott wrote to me about Paul's book to say: '

Wed, 05/12/2007 - 15:32
By jezzaT1

As the editor for the book I'm slightly astonished by this review which misrepresents large sections of the book. Particularly the comment about 'chapters and chapters' about merchants. I suspect Tom Tivnan read the title and skimmed the book. There is no inkling on page 10 of anything to to with the main character's sexuality. I'll leave it to others, who have actually read the book, to redress the balance. Manda Scott wrote to me about Paul's book to say: '

Wed, 05/12/2007 - 15:32
By Tomus Disappearus

Where's Tom's highly entertaining reply to Jezza'a response gone? Informed debate no longer acceptable here?

Thu, 06/12/2007 - 12:32
By Tom Tivnan

I did indeed read the entirety of the book. Manfully struggled through it, though at times I was irritated by the objections I have pointed to above, and admit to considering chucking it aside.

So there are not chapters and chapters about farming and the import/export business? Let

Thu, 06/12/2007 - 13:10
By jezzaT1

This is a much more complex and interesting novel than Tom Tivnan seems to have read. I think perhaps it's just not a novel for him. Fair enough. However, just to set the record straight none of the chapters you site are exclusively, by any means, dominated by scene-setting you site. Your hysterical reaction suggests to me that this is allsome sort of attempt to generate debate on the Bookseller's rather moribund blogs.

Fri, 07/12/2007 - 01:25
By JEvans

I'm certainly intrigued. When it is out?

Fri, 07/12/2007 - 12:52
By jezzat1

It's out at the beginning of February. Do try it.

Sun, 09/12/2007 - 02:22
By Sue P

I am half way through this book and can't put it down. The flow of language and beautiful description are one thing but the information I am gleaning from the period is great. Paul Waters is an excellent writer.

Sun, 16/11/2008 - 00:21
By Helen

Although I found the writing style a little simplistic, for the first part of this novel (up to about p. 200) I found it reasonable interesting and engaging. However, after that point I became a little bored, much of the story was repetitious, similar events happening over and over which did nothing to move the story along or contribute to the meaning. As for Marcus and Menexenos...the gap between them getting together and the point they first had sex was stretched beyond credulity; it had become the most blundering of white elephants. I read on and on and on as they smiled and gazed and kissed, but strangely they both seemed untroubled by the rampant hormones that would have got anyone else into bed at a much earlier point.

This book could have been half the length and twice as good. And comparing it with Mary Renault? Yikes. Definitely not worthy. Her writing has a depth to it that this book can only dream of.

Sat, 07/02/2009 - 17:37