This book is actually perfect! It's witty, it's devastating, it's inspiring, it's frustrating, it's satisfying, and Lennon manages all of those with quick pacing and relatable characters. The story begins with two friends: Gelon, a theatre and poetry enthusiast, and his loyal, yes-man best friend, and our narrator, Lampo. Worried for the future of Athenian theatre, Gelon decides they must use the Athenian prisoners trapped in the quarry to produce Medea and The Trojan Women, and Lampo agrees to direct the plays with him. The two, joined by a group of children, a mysterious merchant serving as their producer, and a collection of prisoners bribed into participation with food, aim to put on a shocking production and succeed tenfold in that aspect. Despite their seemingly successful production, prisoners are still prisoners, and they must be dealt with eventually. Lampo, however, has formed a friendship with his choice of actor for Jason and remains determined to save him from the fate of the other prisoners, even at risk of his own life and burgeoning romance with a slave girl owned by the bar he frequents with Gelon.
Originally, I hated the two main characters, Lampo in particular, who spends any money he has while complaining that he cannot keep any and shows no sympathy for the Athenians trapped in the quarry. Throughout the story, however, Lampo finds himself becoming friends with the Athenians, taking a liking to the children that accompany them to rehearsals, and finding a reason to save money rather than frivolously spend it on himself, and he becomes a character I genuinely like. Also, he calls his crocodile skin boots crocs.
vaporwave
turnnoffyourmind
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
stormborns
izzy806
germansingergirl
2087
