Andrey Valentinov “Diomedes, Son of Tydeus”

The two-volume novel Diomedes, Son of Tydeus by Andrey Valentinov is formally considered the second in Valentinov’s Mycenaean cycle. However, it doesn’t have much connection with the first book, The Grey Kite. In fact, there’s not much about Mycenae in this book either—Mycenae is just another city-state here. It could just as easily be called part of a Trojan cycle since most of the story focuses on Troy.

What does connect it, though, is the parallels with H. L. Oldie’s Odysseus, Son of Laertes. Both books were written at the same time, with the authors collaborating during the writing process. The events overlap significantly, though in Valentinov’s novel, they are shown through the perspective of a different hero, Diomedes.

Both novels also share a similar narrative style. They begin with the heroes’ childhoods and trace their lives through their coming of age and the crucible of the Trojan War. Both books are a bit more challenging to read compared to other works by these authors.

Diomedes as a Greek hero is much less well-known compared to other figures. He didn’t perform any grand feats, so why should anyone remember him? He wasn’t Perseus, the slayer of Medusa. He wasn’t Heracles with his twelve labors. He wasn’t Theseus, the conqueror of the Minotaur. And he wasn’t Odysseus, who spent ten years returning to his beloved Penelope while encountering numerous adventures. Diomedes was just one of the many participants in the Trojan War.

Perhaps that’s why Diomedes’ story, with its “twists” (a hallmark of the entire Achaean-Mycenaean cycle by Oldie and Valentinov), doesn’t feel as close or relatable. There isn’t that connection to the familiar tales from childhood (after all, many people have read the myths, but far fewer have actually made it through Homer’s Iliad).

The story itself starts out interesting. A descendant of gods, marked by a berserker’s curse. An exile in his father’s homeland and a stranger in his mother’s. His life was never going to be ordinary. In the beginning, it’s genuinely fascinating to watch his development. But after a while, it feels less like a cohesive narrative and more like a collection of scenes, and not always the most vivid ones at that. They feel more like sketches, unfinished fragments of text.

They tell Diomedes’ story, but often, you lose sight of the people behind the words. The story seems overly pompous. The goals may be lofty, but it’s hard to care. Diomedes himself comes across as an arrogant, self-absorbed teenage maximalist, convinced that only he truly understands the world and the people in it. As a result, others either follow his grand plans, or they’re automatically relegated to the category of foolish, ignorant people.

Odysseus, in particular, is portrayed here as something of a fool, almost a caricature. I wasn’t too fond of his depiction in Oldie’s book either, but here, he’s not even a real person—he’s just a laughingstock. This portrayal feels unkind and off-putting. The positive traits carefully highlighted in Oldie’s version are either diminished or ridiculed here. And there’s no depth to his character—he’s just a flat villain. It doesn’t come across as simply a different perspective on the same events.

Even the pivotal events of the Trojan War in Diomedes’ story are glossed over, while much attention is given to jokes about football being brought from Asia by Diomedes and introduced first to Greece and then to Italy. The author dwells too much on this joke. It’s amusing the first time, but by the tenth time the football bit comes up, it feels absurd and out of place.

Overall, I found the book quite average. The first volume was more enjoyable, while the second took several attempts to get through, and I read it over a longer period. The sections dealing with the Trojan events felt forced and lacking in momentum.

My rating: 3/5