The God in Flight
by Laura Argiri
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Book Summary Information
Author: Laura ArgiriEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-05-01
ISBN: 0140254137
Number of pages: 496
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of The God in Flight
Book Review: A Greek god's vision becomes flesh
Summary: 5 Stars
In the mid nineteenth century, in the village of Haliburton set high in the Alleghenies, arrives Simeon Lincoln, newly appointed schoolmaster. Simeon, a graduate of Yale, suffers with consumption and has taken the post in the rarefied mountain air to help relieve his condition. His employer is the local priest and mayor, Reverend John Ezra Satterwhite. Satterwhite proves to be a monster of a man, a zealot of the worst kind, a drunkard, totally lacking in compassion, who it turns out violently abuses his six year old son Simion. Simion is as fragile as he is precocious, a scrawny and slight, pale eyed fair haired lad.
Simeon is immediately taken with Simion, who proves to be remarkably intelligent and an avid student, and determines that Simion should eventually apply to Yale, contrary to John Ezra's wishes. The reverend intends his son should remain in Haliburton to take over the teaching at the local school. Simeon and Simion develop a remarkable close relationship of love and trust, the former eventually proves to be the latter's saviour, and in more than just securing him a place at Yale.
Previously, Lord Stratton-Truro, a bachelor travelling in Athens comes upon a neglected but beautiful baby boy and taken by the infant, purchases him from his mother. While adopting the baby he keeps the child's given name, Doriskos Hyakinthos Kilionarios. Doriskos grows to be a handsome young man, an artist strangely beset by a recurring vision of a beautiful fair haired youth of his imagination. Following an unfortunate incident involving one of his students at Oxford, Doriskios ends up a Professor at Yale.
Also teaching at Yale is the quick tempered Moses Karseth, Professor of Surgery. Moses lives with Helmut Knitel, ostensibly his valet but in fact his lover. The couple will prove to play a crucial role in the lives of Simion and Doriskios.
At Yale Doriskios recognises Simion as soon as he stands before him for his interview as the youth in his dreams. Eventually the two do get together, and the major part of the novel is concerned with their relationship. It proves to be a troubled relationship, and not surprisingly so with Simion, a seventeen year old youth and Doriskios a Professor in his thirties, but that seems the least of their problems. As their relationship progresses they have to deal with, among other things, yobbish and wealthy students who make life hell for the impoverished Simion, a vicious and vengeful student Peter who has a crush on Doriskios, a flamboyant student Andy who is also in love with Simion, an unsympathetic narrow-minded Yale Principal Noah Porter, and an initially aggressively accusatory Moses Karseth. All come to a head when Porter gets wind of the "God in Flight", Doriskios' scandalous nude sculpture of himself and Simion.
This is a beautiful story that develops at an unhurried pace, with each of the main characters well developed. Simeon, under different circumstances perhaps Simion's lover, proves a true father to him. Simion is as physically adorable and vulnerable as he is strong willed and difficult. Doriskios remains utterly faithful from the moment of his first enigmatic vision that is eventually revealed in the flesh in Simion. The whole builds to a fitting and rewarding conclusion, including a riotous hearing convened by the Yale authorities. In all, a very moving story of the enduring strength of true love and devotion.
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