From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Revisiting scenes from The Iliad and delving into the hearts of two ancient heroes, Malouf (Remembering Babylon) evokes the final days of the Trojan War with cinematic vividness. After Achilles withdraws his forces from combat, a move that cripples the Greek army, his best friend, Patroclus, persuades Achilles to let him take the Myrmidons back into combat and to wear Achilles' armor. After Trojan king Priam's beloved son, Hector, kills Patroclus, guilt, rage and grief drives Achilles on a frenzied quest for revenge that sees him slay Hector and then tie Hector's corpse to his chariot and drag it around the besieged city. Priam, desperate to stop the desecration, decides to visit the enemy camp and offer money in exchange for Hector's body. He hires a humble cart driver and, aided by Hermes, they set out on a journey that takes Priam into the unknown and toward a meeting with Achilles. Though Malouf's sparingly deployed details, vigorous language and sly wit humanizes these tragic heroes, the story is unmistakably epic and certainly the stuff of legend. (Jan.)
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From Bookmarks Magazine

David Malouf is widely regarded as one of Australia's greatest living novelists, and Ransom sits well alongside the rest of his work. With simple, graceful prose, cinematic descriptions, and a deeply ingrained respect for two grieving heroes, Malouf both enhances and venerates Homer's ancient epic. And while the Wall Street Journal critic felt that Somax, King Priam's cart driver, was a glib addition, others disagreed, calling him "a creation of genius, like one of those Shakespearean peasants full of good humor and even better sense" (Dallas Morning News). Ultimately, reviewers described Ransom as a standout book and a prime example of beautiful, old-fashioned storytelling.