The King Must Die: A Novel

Product Details

• Requirement: New
• ISBN13: 9780394751047
• Notes: BUY WITH Certitude, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and servicing to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

The story of the mythical hero Theseus, slayer of monsters, abductor of princesses and king of Athens. He emerges from these pages as a clearly defined personality; brave, aggressive and quick. The core of the story is Theseus' Cretan adventure.

---

Customer Reviews

The Bull Leapers' Revolt
"The King Must Die" by Mary Renault is an excellent read. At times, this historical novel of the ancient legendary (perhaps mythical, perhaps not) Greek hero Theseus becomes a magical page-turner, filled with excitement and adventure.

The reader learns the customs, mores, fears and joys of the people of various Greek cities in which Theseus lived during the few years of his young life covered in this novel.

One cannot help but be struck by how the unknown ruled the lives of ancient peoples, how they transformed the unknown into myths and superstitions to abate their fears, and how our own rituals and ridiculous Western religious rites eventually emerged from such human history - myth or not. Natural phenomena were seen as caused by angry (or happy) gods and goddesses, and how the barbaric ritual of the animal (and human) sacrifice gave strange power to the leaders of the ignorant. And yet, in Theseus, we see a young man who literally takes responsibility for his own life and fate, charging off into unknown situations with bravery and courage. The ever-active forces and counter-forces between mythology to explain the unknown and reality in dealing with life in the moment are what gives Renault's tale life and substance - and relevance today.

Even then-practiced and rather well-accepted homosexuality is treated with sensitivity by Renault (as she does in all of her works of ancient Greeks and modern Brits - see, "The Last of the Wine," and "The Charioteer" for examples, as well as her trilogy of Alexander the Great). "The King Must Die" is irredeemably heterosexual, make no mistake, with Theseus' development as a lover of women one of the central features of the story. Remember these works were all written by this Oxford-educated woman in the 1950s and 1960s.

It is gorgeously written, flows remarkably well from chapter to chapter, and makes this reader appreciate even more the role that the ancients played in the development of a civilized world. She certainly brings Theseus to life with exquisite detail and superior attention to even the smallest aspect of his surroundings, feelings and his exploits. He becomes a human before your very eyes. Some of her best passages describe the psychological states of the main characters, their coping mechanisms and the ways that they conquered their at-times overwhelming fears. And, there was always time for love.

I rate it a 4.4 or 4.5 on Amazon's 5 point scale, but round the rating down to a 4.0, despite enjoying it immensely. It's an interesting and fun read, educational and stimulating, full of color, liveliness and realistic people.

2009-12-17 | Excalibur (San Rafael, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

Imaginative retelling
A very imaginative retelling of the Theseus and the Minotaur myth. I read it when I was visiting Crete, and it made my trip to Knossos more interesting.

2009-10-21 (Cincinnati OH) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

subtle, brilliant, highly recommended
Perhaps it's a bit late to respond to Mark H. Cohen's post, but in criticizing Renault's 'gibberish,' he unintentionally reveals his own lack of understanding of the book's main themes. Now I'll confess up front--I read this 30 years ago (like another writer) and it has resonated with me much of my life; I've re-read it from time to time, as I'm doing now. I'll not repeat what others have to say about the brilliant reconstruction and deconstruction of the Thesius legend, but rather add a couple of comments on criticism like Mr. Cohen's. First, Renault's writing is excellent (I speak as a professional and published writer), but it's also quite subtle. In keeping with her characters' own delicacy and subtlety (this is first person) she sometimes will dance around a delicate or outrageous act without saying it. As a reader, you have to be alert. To me, this is one of the great charms of her book.
Potential Spoiler alert!! **** NOw the above scene Mr. Cohen is referring to--he abandons Ariadne because she engages in the very violent, sexual Dionysian ritual (as is appropriate considering in the myth she later marries Bacchus). In the scene, if you recall, Theseus comes upon her, drunk and asleep after engaging in an orgy. Her mouth is covered in blood and there's something in her hand. Theseus wont' say what it is, only that it is this thing in her hand which makes him decide ot abandon her. You the reader must read between the lines and be active and alert. WHat she has in her hand is a severed penis. This is in keeping with the entire theme of hte book, The King Must Die--but in the Dionysian ritual, the king is killed and 'eaten' as well, literally. His blood is considered sacred. Theseus abandons her because it is completely impossible for their beliefs to be aligned. She is absolutely, in all respects, antithetical to his (in his point of view) disciplined, honorable, male based religion. This is an example of the sorts of things Mr. Cohen misses in his reading. As far as the 'annoying' mention of the plumbing, well, I can't answer to that--I never found her details irrelevant.
She is a writer of brilliance and subtlety and I highly recommend her.

2009-05-06 (Cherry Hill, NJ) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

Splendid interpretation of the Theseus myth!
Mary Renault's style has been much imitated by authors of historical fiction, but never really matched. In this intelligent, fascinating, and entertaining retelling of the myth of the ancient Greek hero Theseus, Ms. Renault has taken a mythological figure and transformed him into an all-too-human youth, complete with the flaws, foibles, and passions of adolescence and young adulthood.

The narrative, which is delivered in the first person, begins with Theseus' childhood; as a fatherless boy, even though a member of a royal family, he faces the insecurity of knowing little about his roots and nothing about the identity of his father. Slight and relatively small in stature, he longs for the large, robust physique of a true "hero," and learns to compensate for his lack of size by the use of his keen intelligence and wit. As a young man, clever, aggressive, lusty, and quick-minded if slightly temperamental, he learns the identity of his father--the king of Athens--and travels to Athens to meet him, encountering numerous adventures along the way. The storyline of the traditional Theseus myth is followed, at least in principle: after being recognized by his father as his son and a prince of Athens, Theseus is chosen to accompany the group of boys and maidens demanded as tribute by the powerful ruler of Crete, King Minos. Once in Crete, the little band of Athenian captives is taken to the royal palace--the Labyrinth--where they are trained to become a team of bull-leapers, destined to perform the dangerous and popular sport before the royalty of Crete. The heir to King Minos' throne, known as the Minotaur, is not the half-man-half-bull of ancient myth but a hulking, arrogant and boorish fellow (a bully, not a bull) called Asterion who takes a dislike to the Athenian prince. While plotting to escape from Crete with his Athenian comrades, Theseus becomes the lover of the virginal but passionate Cretan princess Ariadne, and must face down Asterion the Minotaur before he can attempt a flight back to mainland Greece.

Ms. Renault's wonderful descriptive style makes the world of ancient, pre-classical, Bronze Age Greece come alive. The cultural differences between what are now regarded as different regions of the country are made vividly clear, particularly in her treatment of the "exotic" Cretan court. She exhibits her familiarity with Minoan art and dress of the period, and with the layout and decoration of the actual Labyrinth at Knossos (excavated in 1900 by Arthur Evans). Finally, her characters are imbued with distinct and often engaging personalities worthy of the reader's attention, and in Theseus we are given a delightful "mythic hero" of genuinely human proportions.

2008-12-04 | A reader from NY, NY (New York, NY) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

---

Imaginative, Melodic
Renault takes a preposterous Greek myth and makes it almost plausible based on modern scholarship and fascinating speculation. She can write beautifully, with sparkling dialogue, attractive characters and surprising plot twists.

At times she can be a little frustrating with strange syntax and an indirect approach to story telling, causing temporary confusion. But I started to get used to that and will probably try another of her books.

2008-11-19 (Seattle, WA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

---

Fire from Heaven

Product Details

• Accustom: New
• ISBN13: 9780375726828
• Notes: BUY WITH Self-confidence, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and secondment to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

“Written with her usual vigor and imagination...Mary Renault has a great talent.”–The New York Times Book Review

Alexander’s beauty, strength, and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son’s loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle’s tutoring provoked his mind and Homer’s Iliad fueled his aspirations. Killing his first man in battle at the age of twelve, he became regent at sixteen and commander of Macedon’s cavalry at eighteen, so that by the time his father was murdered, Alexander’s skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.

---

Customer Reviews

Excellent Historical Referencing
This title incorporates a clearly and well-researched history of Alexander the Great's younger life, and then fills in the details we wish we knew. Although the novel reads quickly and excitingly, based entirely upon the scarce facts on Alexander's youth, it falls a bit short in a few places. Alexander's relationship with most of his peers is mostly discounted in order to write more about his friendship with Hephaestion, a friendship which is left enticingly platonic but with many not-so-gentle hints that there was much more to be told of them.

Personally I think that the storytelling fails here, because you don't get enough of either plot element. What you do get is a clear picture of Philip and Olympias as parents who have great love for their son, Olympias unfailingly so, but who cannot and will not love each other.

Some captivating scenes seem to have been adapted for Oliver Stone's 2004 film Alexander.

2010-04-07 (Boston, MA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

Not totally for me, I guess
Fire From Heaven is the story of Alexander the Great, the legendary fourth-century BC king and emperor who succeeded after his father was killed. He had a short lifespan (he died at the age to 32), but he had an incredible life and career, which Mary Renault attempts to recreate in this novel.

Alexander in this novel seems much older than he really is; but that's because he's precocious. Alexander's a fascinating man, made even more fascinating my all that he accomplished in 33 years. Alexander is pretty much legendary, so Mary Renault was a bit ambitious in the writing of this novel.

I have to admit that I'm a bit out of my element here in terms of the historical period, since I don't read much fiction set in ancient Greece. But the historical detail is deeply evocative; King Phillip's court is beautifully rendered here. It's clear that Mary Renault really, really researched her subject matter before writing, and that she has a deep understanding of, and empathy for, Alexander. But most of the time the novel is very hard to read, and it took me a while to finish it.
I also have to admit that it took me a little while to get into this book; and Renault's prose style is a little unusual. In terms of the story, she does tend to jump around a lot, but not so much that it's glaringly obvious after a while. This is not my favorite work of historical fiction, but I'm willing to read more by Mary Renault at a later date, as I've heard her novels are fabulous.

2010-01-16 (Radnor, PA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 3

---

I really liked it
Great historical fiction. One must keep in mind that generally the farther back you go in history it becomes more fiction and less historical. However the character development is good and the story flows along nicely. The only thing that caused me to give it 4 instead of 5 is that she portrays him as being almost flawless.

2009-09-09 (Asia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

The Early Homosexual Life of Young Alexander the Great
"Fire from Heaven" may be Mary Renault's best work on Alexander the Great, and I enjoyed it almost as much as I did her other stories about young ancient Greek homosexual men in "Last of the Wine" and her flawed, but also great, gay coming of age story set in 1940's Britain, "The Charioteer." Renault excels in her uncanny ability to depict convincingly young gay boys and men and their developing, often difficult, lives of emerging knowledge and experienced about who they really are. One could also look to Andre Aciman's "Call Me by Your Name," for other excellent writing on this subject.

Despite her caveats about the disputed and never to be known actual facts about Alexander's homosexuality in her "Author's Note" at the end of the book, you'd never know Renault had any doubt about his being gay from Day 1. Her story boldly shows Alexander as homosexual even as a young boy, smiling coyly at a handsome envoy who came to visit King Philip, Alexander's father. Alexander's preference for the company of men is never hidden, and it blossoms in full force during his early teenage "friendship" with Hephaestion, the male who turns out to be his life-long lover and bed partner. They were partners in everything for 20 years.

Alexander, Renault writes, is precocious in just about every facet of his young life. His brilliance is not limited to how quickly he learned war games as a teenager or his ability to disappear into the wild and survive better than ever, but also in his "understanding" of people and the world around him.

Of course, down deep, Alexander is portrayed as a deadly, cold fish, a truly calculating strategist, whose ability to love anyone other than himself emerges only as a consequence of Hephaestion's handling of his emotions and blazing internal fire. Their courtship and early love life is the core of this story.

His mother, Olympias, is shown to be a vicious, selfish, scheming witch, and his father, King Philip, hardly is a person to admire, either. There's lots of war talk, war strategy, and war events. I found myself skipping over them to some extent, so that I did not lose the thread of the true story at hand: the love story of Alexander and Hephaestion. Steven Pressfield is a good alternate read for the wars stuff.

This is good historical fiction, with, of course, emphasis on "fiction."

2009-01-31 | Excalibur (San Rafael, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

The weakest of Renault's Alexander books
Pros: Some really strong scenes and Alexander's relationships with those around him are very interesting.

Cons: The story as a whole doesn't hang together well, the omniscient third point of view doesn't quite work here, Alexander could be better characterized, and the scenes with sex or violence leave something to be desired

There are places where this book really, really shines. Individual scenes, especially those detailing Alexander's relationship with his mother, his father, or Hephaistion are positively intriguing in part because these characters are so interesting, so well drawn.

It is therefore a bit surprising that the book fails to do full justice to its main character, Alexander. Alexander remains a bit too one-dimensional, a bit too god-like throughout the book and besides, we don't really see enough of him because of Renault's tendency to head hop to random, unimportant characters. This is unfortunate -- her main talent lies in slowly drawing out her characters, in making the reader empathize and identify with them. She is scarcely able to do this when she devotes so little time to each individual character.

This also gives the story a strangely disjointed feeling. It jumps around too much. Although the book is well written in general, Renualt is sometimes so incredibly vague about the sex and violence that I am not sure what happened, an annoying tendency.

Although this book isn't as good as later books in the Alexander books, there are certainly some great moments that show Renault's skill. 3+ stars.

2008-12-17 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 3

---

The Mask of Apollo: A Novel

Description

Set in fourth-century B.C. Greece, The Mask of Apollo is narrated by Nikeratos, a tragic actor who takes with him on all his travels a gold mask of Apollo, a relic of the theater's golden age, which is now past. At first his mascot, the mask gradually becomes his conscience, and he refers to it his gravest decisions, when he finds himself at the center of a political crisis in which the philosopher Plato is also involved. Much of the action is set in Syracuse, where Plato's friend Dion is trying to persuade the young tyrant Dionysios the Younger to accept the rule of law. Through Nikeratos' eyes, the reader watches as the clash between the two looses all the pent-up violence in the city.

---

Customer Reviews

the Mask of Apollo
After reading _The King Must Die_ and loving it, I picked up _The Mask of Apollo_, hoping for the same - I just couldn't get it to it. I found the plot too slow, and the characters unlovable. I would rather have read a non-fiction history of the time; this book just couldn't keep my interest, though I am interested in the history of the period. I haven't given up on Mary Renault - I plan to read _The Fire From Heaven_ soon.

2005-02-09 (Middle America) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 2

---

Passion, the Future and the Gods
There are three elements that make this a great novel. First is Renault's ingenious device to critique Plato and Dion through the eyes of an actor. Plato's greatest intellectual flaw, to many, is his devotion to logic at the expense of the passions. The actor, who earns his bread through the inspiration of passion, can see instantly the weaknesses and where they will ultimately lead.

Second, in this book more than any other, Renault makes you feel the presence of the gods. She does this with subtlely, and one is always left wondering whether Nikeratos the actor is imagining (or, indeed, scripting) the voice of Apollo coming from his mask. But in his heart the reader knows that the voice is genuine and that it always leads Nikeratos to his best self.

Third, this is the novel in which Renault really situates herself in a past, present and future. She even makes subtle jokes about it. (Nikeratos, in a fever, dreams of playing Hamlet -- although if you didn't know Hamlet you'd never get the joke.) In this novel, much more so than in those that preceded it, she makes up her mind that all Greek history leads to or from Alexander. This is the novel she wrote just before Fire From Heaven and she has already decided where she is going.

2004-05-10 (Barrington, RI USA) | Helpful Votes: 14 | Rating: 5

---

Really breathes life into the ancient world
This was a beautifully written novel. The pervasiveness of homosexual relationships depicted in the story eloquently exposes our own society's morals as arbitrary. Our customs were not established at the dawn of time nor are they immutable as we might suppose. Also the gods were portrayed as spirtually significant powers that really shaped lives. I have thought of them as entertaining mythical fantasies and assumed that the ancients, at least the educated, did as well. But their gods were as powerful and real to them as our God is to us. The colorful caste of characters- Roman soldiers, Gauls, Sicilians, and a few famous figures - really brought the ancient Mediterrannean world to life in all its variety.

2003-02-19 (SC, USA) | Helpful Votes: 11 | Rating: 5

---

"Mask" a fine depiction of the cult of personality
"The Mask of Apollo" is Mary Renault's warmest, friendliest book--and I don't say that lightly. While Renault wrote books that draw the reader into new worlds, few of her narrators have been what I'd consider ordinary people. While I would love to sit and chat with Alexander or Simonides, I'd probably get tongue-tied and die of embarrassment if I actually got the chance. Nikeratos the actor is a protagonist you can picture taking home for dinner and a beer.

Niko is an actor, reared to the craft from childhood, and the title of the book refers to an antique mask (Greek actors wore masks; none went barefaced on stage) of the god Apollo that he keeps at first for luck. Niko himself is a man who always seems to come out well of every situation; when the book opens, he is fatherless and working with a struggling troupe when his grace under pressure (Spartans are seen heading for the town he's in while he's acting in a play, and Niko continues acting to keep the crowd quiet) gives his career a boost. A rival's attempt to kill him some time later ends unsuccessfully, and this leads to his meeting with the man who becomes his hero and his shadow.

Dion of Syracuse, nephew to the tyrant Dionysius, is also a disciple of Plato. He is a Sicilian aristocrat, a man who seeks to lessen the tyrant's iron grip on the people of Sicily. Niko is awed by his presence and convictions, but clear-eyed when it comes to seeing how many of Dion's ideas--fed to him by Plato--will impact his craft and the society he moves in for the worst. Without ever saying so, Renault makes a stern criticism of Platonic philosophy, which is one of the beauties of the book.

The death of the first Dionysius and the ascendance of his son, the second Dionysius, are told by Niko in a voice by turns cynical and amused. Niko is a keen observer, and drops devastating sarcastic bombs with lethal accuracy. (His "toast" to Dion on discovering Plato's views on the theater is one explosive moment). But Dionysius II turns out to be worse than his father, and Niko finds himself supporting Dion even as he wonders if his friend and idol knows what he's getting into. The climax of the story shows Dion at the moment of his greatest glory--and Niko's wish for him is painful in its prescience.

"Mask's" central premise is how the powerful and the performers wear masks to woo an audience. Niko is fortunate; he knows when to woo and when to take the mask off and go home. Never taking his craft for granted, he not only likes his audiences, he understands them. Dion, on the other hand, sees himself as a liberator and teacher. His audience is the mob, and the mob are to be led like sheep. A man of dignity, Dion is willing to let the devotion of his people carry him to the highest rank, but once there he cannot take off his mask and stop playing the role he's set for himself. And so we wonder, who is more corrupt--the tyrant who crushes dissent with an iron fist, or the politician who promises freedom and then scrabbles for the safety promised by the tactics of the old regime?

Renault cannot resist tweaking the readers with the end of her book. Niko is nearing the twilight of his career when, after portraying Achilles, he is met backstage by a young prince from Macedon and his best friend. Alexander and Hephaistion make their first appearance, and Niko's sorrowful musing on what might have happened had Plato had Alexander instead of Dion to work with ends the book on a bittersweet note.

2003-02-15 | Bookworm Extraordinaire (Phoenix, AZ USA) | Helpful Votes: 17 | Rating: 4

---

Life as art and art as life
One of the things that make Mary Renault such a great historical novelist is that she opens doors you never thought existed and gets you wanting to explore and learn more. I had to read several Greek plays in high school but they were always kind of ho-hum until Renault brought them vibrantly to life in "The Mask of Apollo" in the character of Nikeratos, an Athenian actor in 4th-century BC Greece who learns his craft from the ground up and brings us onstage and backstage into his world of great drama. Nikeratos travels from Greece to Sicily and back, acting in plays by such immemorial dramatists as Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and bringing life to his art and art into his life and the lives of those he interacts with. Parallel with the story of Nikeratos is the story of Dion of Syracuse, a real historical figure who successfully brought down the dictatorship of Dionysios the Younger, only to install his own dictatorship in its place. "The Mask of Apollo" brings to life historical figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Speusippos (an enigmatic character I would have liked to know more of) and many others that we only read about in history texts, and makes them become real and personal. She also makes us live in ancient Syracuse with its sights and sounds, its political intrigues and dangers. (Contrary to what one reviewer said, however, Renault gave only one line in passing to the Athenian defeat at Syracuse during the Peloponnesian War and the tragic aftermath; that was treated at length in "The Last of the Wine" but not in this book.) After finishing this book, I headed straight to the bookstore for a good translation of "The Bacchae" by Euripides, which I'd never heard of before Renault relates how brilliantly Nikeratos acts the leading role, and devoured it at one sitting. Renault does her readers a double favor: she not only gives them a gem of a book, she sends them on a treasure hunt to find some more.

2002-05-30 | Helpful Votes: 23 | Rating: 5

---

The Persian Boy

Description

“It takes skill to depict, as Miss Renault has done, this half-man, half Courtesan who is so deeply in love with the warrior.”–The Atlantic Monthly

The Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexander’s life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. Abducted and gelded as a boy, Bagoas was sold as a courtesan to King Darius of Persia, but found freedom with Alexander after the Macedon army conquered his homeland. Their relationship sustains Alexander as he weathers assassination plots, the demands of two foreign wives, a sometimes-mutinous army, and his own ferocious temper. After Alexander’s mysterious death, we are left wondering if this Persian boy understood the great warrior and his ambitions better than anyone.

---

Customer Reviews

Hero Worship
My hero in life is Alexander the Great. He was a fearless warrior king who united the Eastern and Western World. My fascination with him has inspired the reading of several books of historical fiction. None compare with Mary Renault's well researched, lyrical and eerily detailed accounts of his life in her novels Fire From Heaven, The Persian Boy and Funeral Games. Though the language and ancient names can take a few chapters to get your tongue around once immersed Renault spins a world around you in a way that you'd swear she was witness to the events.
The Persian Boy is my favorite in the triad because it examines a unique time in Alexander's life. He and his life partner Hephaestion have an unbreakable bond and yet in Greek style he has taken a Persian Boy, Bagoas as a second lover. As fascinating as his adventures in the discovery of the East are the finely woven relations in this ancient love triangle between Alexander, Hephaestion and Bagoas. As one can imagine dating the King of the Known World at the time was ripe with both jealousy and love. A superb accomplishment and true labor of love.

2010-06-16 (Cape Town, S. Africa) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

A nice complement to the first volume
This is an excellent book and a very good compliment to the first book in the trilogy. I'm looking forward to reading the third.

2010-03-28 (Asia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

The best thing ever to happen to Alexander the Great
The narrator of _The Persian Boy_ is Bagoas, once owned by Persian King Darius then later given to Alexander of Macedon, better known in history as Alexander the Great. Bagoas was granted to Alexander as a spoil of a battle won by Alexander. Bagoas is a eunuch, castrated as a young boy so that he would always retain his youthful beauty.

Bagoas becomes Alexander's lover, companion, and advisor, in as much as Bagoas becomes the one individual Alexander can always trust. If Alexander desired to hear the truth no matter what the consequences, he could always turn to Bagoas. In return, Bagoas who greatly needed affection could usually depend upon Alexander for this. A huge rivalry forms between Bagoas and Hephaiston, Alexander's long time lover. It says much about Bagoas that he respects Alexander's primary relationship and never acts to betray Hephaiston. Alexander marries Roxane, whom Alexander meets as one of the female dancers who perform for him. Despite his lack of interest in women, as ruler of Macedon and other areas, there is the necessity of providing an heir to the throne were Alexander to die.

Ms. Renault portrays Alexander as a very brave and loyal man, albeit a man with a huge temper. Alexander is also a heavy wine drinker, which later is a detriment to him. Alexander arranges for the granting of doweries to all the unmarried soldiers serving in his army. He also provides theatrical performances and funeral games for his men. Several very ornate funerals are portrayed in the book. Alexander also forms an alliance with the Persian leadership simply because Alexander grows to love the Persian people. We learn that Alexander has earned the love and loyalty of his men who wish to comfort Alexander during a particularly bad time for him.

While the book is an easy read, it is often rather a slow-going read. Several battles occur in which Alexander is involved, but Ms. Renault barely recounts these battles to the reader. We know that Alexander has taken part in these battles only because Alexander receives a rather nasty lance wound in one of them. All in all, _The Persian Boy_ succeeds more as history but disappoints as a work of action.

2010-03-25 (HOBOKEN, NJ United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

---

I didn't like this book At ALL!
First of all, I could not identify with Bagoas. If I were castrated I would have wanted to kill myself. It gave me a feeling of disgust trying to read the sexual scenes. Why would a woman want to write about man-boy sex as though it were real love? I can't imagine. Man-boy love I can understand, but though it might involve admiration, I can not imagine it involving sexual desire. Ugh! Secondly, Alexander didn't come across to me as a real human being; he came across to me like one of those guys in one of the Harlequin romances, although as an unbelievable goody-goody. [...] Finally, I felt that I learned very little from this book as a 'historical' novel. After reading 150 pages, I decided there was no merit in reading any further. I decided to go to Wikipedia to look up about Alexander's homosexuality or bisexuality and it said that there was very little documentation of it, although it seemed surmisable that he was bisexual, that he loved women also, but that he was not highly sexed. [...]

2009-10-11 (United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 1

---

People! It's a novel, fiction, already!
I read this book when it came out (no pun intended) in paperback in the 70s. I was a child to love (sex, yes), female or male, then of 26 years. I reread it a couple of weeks ago and loved it. I am 62 now. It is a story of love, not sex, for that is irrelevant. The First Edition hardbound dust jacket has these lines. "Alexander is a man with little experience of sensuality, but a profound need of affection. Bagoas' famous beauty has been much exploited, but his affection has been needed by no one. Their meeting is irresistible to both." Whereas the first sentence is arguable, yet incapable of proof, if one imagines Hephaestion to be a sensual lover, the second is the crux of this beautiful tale of deep affection. Testicles do not automatically confer manliness, any more than their absence confers femininity. One can never doubt Alexander's manliness, yet his warring parents apparently wondered if his mutual obsession with Hephaestion, nay besottedness, was healthy for the boy. He/they were probably 15 or 16 years old then. Philip and Olympias even wondered if their boy was a "gynnis," that is, a womanish man. So that raises another irrelevant question: who was top or bottom? Or both? Maybe they were both "versatile" in modern gay jargon. But then, who cares?! They were men and therefore sexual and very into a lifelong love. As there are only five references to Bagoas in all of the third hand (at best) ancient sources, we shall never know. Therefore this sensual, beautiful, and tender NOVEL should be judged on it's own merits and not pecked to meaningless pieces by modern labeling crows.

So now for a bombshell. I am going to write a sequel to The Persian Boy. No, I'm not insane, just a romantic dreamer who weeps unabashedly and procrastinates reading this book's last 50 or so pages. I don't want Hephaestion or Alexander to die so young. Who ever does? Could it have been plausibly different? What could (and should) have intervened (no time-travel, aliens or such absurdist cheap devices) to change their lives and all of western history forever? One very small thing could have. I have the vision, or perhaps a mad delusion. Whatever! I shall write it!

2009-06-19 | Lakonian (Kentucky) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

---

The Last of the Wine

Product Details

• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Coolness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and handling to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780375726811

Description

In The Last of the Wine, two young Athenians, Alexias and Lysis, compete in the palaestra, journey to the Olympic games, fight in the wars against Sparta, and study under Socrates. As their relationship develops, Renault expertly conveys Greek culture, showing the impact of this supreme philosopher whose influence spans epochs.

---

Customer Reviews

Beautifully written historical fiction
This beautifully written novel tells the story of Alexias, an Athenian youth coming of age during the final years of the Peloponnesian War, and his lifelong friendship/love affair with Lysis, an Athenian soldier. As Renault composes the tale of their relationship, she brings ancient Athens alive, providing enough detail to lend her setting the authenticity it needs. The narrative is at its best when it focuses on the development of Alexias' and Lysis' bond in all its dimensions--as mentor and pupil, as fellow soldiers and citizens, as friends, and as lovers. Renault tells their story with no apologies and depicts the customs of the times with great realism. Although her prose is never didactic, I learned much about Greek history while reading this novel; many historical figures--including Sokrates, Plato, Alkibiades, and Xenophon--figure prominently in the plot. The political circumstances in ancient Greece about which Renault writes serve as a metaphor for many of the political events occurring during the time when the novel was written (1956), notably McCarthyism and the Red Scare. Her depictions of war and Greek politics, however, do constitute the weaker portions of the narrative, and she sometimes meanders too long through her characters' discussions of philosophy and ethics. In spite of these occasional lapses, "The Last of the Wine" is a satisfying and well-written novel.

2010-02-20 | overeducated lit. junkie (Lafayette, IN United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

Could have used good editing
I've loved all of Mary Renault's work until The Last of the Wine. While the story is nearly as compelling as the rest and she has a lovely use of language, the Arrow Books edition I bought is laced with spelling errors and the book needed far better editing than it received to make the story flow smoothly.

2009-08-22 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

---

Book review
We had to read this book in Sophmore English (circa 1977-78). In the entire sophmore class, only two people actually read the book from cover to cover; most of us never made it through the first chapter. First off, none of us could understand what this book was about, and second after the first few pages (I only got to 35 pages myself), it had undertones (overtones?) that could not be overcome, especially in a Catholic school. Thankfully, we never got tested on it. This book was trashed as soon as school was over for the year and if this book ever went out of print will be not a day too soon.

I do not know, as an adult, if any of us would "choose" to read it for pleasure. I think any book that was "required reading" sort of kills the pleasure of reading it again decades later for your own amusement.

2009-06-02 (Massachusetts) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 1

---

Normal Young Men in Ancient Greece
Keep in mind that this gorgeously written and touching story was first published in 1956 by Renault, an Oxford-educated British woman, dead now 25 years.

"Last of the Wine" is much more than a coming of age tale, as we like to call some of these stories nowadays. Far from it. Yes, it is a gay love story, sans sex, a subtle and timeless and accurately portrayed romance between 2 beautiful young men in 5th Century B.C. Greece - thus, before Alexander. There's a good bit of history and a lot of fun in meeting some of the incomparable ancients - an aging Socrates and a young Plato, and in hearing about others, Alkibiades, for one. If you manage to read Steven Pressfield and Renault, as well as others writing of this era, it all begins to make sense.

Renault seems magically to understand perfectly love in its deepest sense between men and those touchy human aspects of love between anyone: possessiveness, jealousy, soft adoration, absence and longing, and the overwhelming desire to spend all one's time with one's love, to say nothing of comfortable easy silences and shared thoughts.

The 2 primary characters, Alexis (the younger of the two by 6 years) and Lysis, are physical ideals and good to the core. They know how to enjoy the long-lost simple pleasures. I loved them both. She also grasps firmly the intricacies of family, of obligation and of the inevitable inscrutable conflict between father and son.

"Last of the Wine" is as contemporary as your latest e-mail exchange with your partner or offspring. She writes with finesse and profundity. Consider these excerpts.

Page 241. "It was a warm spring evening; one smelt the sea, and supper cooking on pinewood fires, and the scent of flowers upon the hillside; we sat in the doorway of our hut in the late sun, greeting friends as they passed."

Page 242. "The evening sun glowed like bronze upon the reed thatch of the roofs; here and there men were singing about the fires. I (Alexis) said in my heart, `Such things as these are the pleasures of manhood.'"

Page 243. "But we sat a little longer; for as the sun sank, the moon had risen. Her light had mixed with the afterglow, and the hill behind the city was the colour of skins of lions."

Page 244. "'Nothing will change, Alexis' (Lysis speaking). `No that is false; there is change wherever there is life.... But what kind of fool would plant an apple-slip, to cut it down at the season when the fruit is setting? Flowers you can get every year, but only with time the tree that shades your doorway and grows into the house with each year's sun and rain.'" As Adlai Stevenson once said, "Change is inevitable. Change for the better is a full-time job." These young men had a firm grasp on reality.

The story traces not only the rise of fledgling democracy but also its temporary demise. The build-up to Socrates' eventual murder by authorities fearful of his teachings is compelling. The end of the story is both uplifting and sad.

Renault's "Notes" at the end of the book are insightful, the "Chronology Table" is helpful, and the map of "Greece and the Aegean" is a good anchor for orienting yourself to political and physical geography.

Yes, it is fiction. Yes, the over-riding theme is a gay love story. And yes, it's enthralling and gracious. Relax into the story, flow with its pace, learn from it, and read it with unabashed pleasure. Forget the homophobe reviewers who are falsely "offended" by the story (after, of course, they knowingly have read every word!).

2008-10-10 | Excalibur (San Rafael, CA) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 5

---

Perfection
I did not read this book, I devoured it.... In THE LAST OF THE WINE I walked through the ancient streets of Athens, I lived among her people, I loved, fought, and died beside them. It is that kind of novel, pulls you right in and never lets go. Even after I finished it, I kept going back to it again and again.
The message of this story is revelant even today. Who can not think of Iraq now, upon reading of foolish, proud Athens sailing off to destroy Syracuse?
A few thoughts on earlier reviews.... this book is an easy read, the prose is simple and straight forward. One does not need a deep knowledge of Greek history or language to follow this story.

2007-11-28 (Texas) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

---

The Nature of Alexander

Description

The acclaimed biography of Alexander the Great.

---

Customer Reviews

a worthy reading of Alexander
I prefer this over the Lane version. All the important stories are caprtured in the Alexander major biographies and this version is no different. The only difference is the 'in between' readability and interpretations for most readers interested in the life of Alexander. If you want to get into the weeds and compare the difference between Lane, Arrian and the others than have at it. If you want one readable version that captures the essense of Alexander with all the major events than this is the one for you. My reference point is as a Masters student in Ancient History and a career Army Officer.

2010-03-31 | majd (korea) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

Amazing Guy
Where is Alexander when we need him...now!
After reading the big-long bio of Howard Hughes I'm thinking he may have been a reincarnation of Alexander.
Too bad the real story of this phenomenal person is not taught in schools, youth of today would be much inspired by the philosophy and life of Alexander. He was certainly one-of-a-kind. Compared to the vapid, lying, greedy "leaders" of today he truly was a "god".
After reading the the two novels about him, also by Mary Renault, this was a fitting end to my quest to know more about the Alexander that piqued my interest when I happened on Oliver Stone's interview talking about making the movie.
PS - anyone who sees the movie should watch the 'special feature' with Mr. Stone first, to really appreciate the scope of his endeavor and the importance of Alexander. Oh yeah...and read M.R.'s books too.

2005-10-30 (California) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 5

---

Fire from Heaven
This is one of the many outstanding books written by Ms.Renault.She depicted Alexander as all of us would imagine him.Handsome, loving, fierce,mercyful and great.Although so many books have been written about Alexander,all in all we will never know if as a person he really indeed was that Great.
Nadia
Maryland.

2005-09-29 | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

---

Mary Renaults's Pet Alex
Mary Renault has always had a thing for Alexander. With her lesbian background in mid-century UK I guess this is not surprising. We have her to thank for much of the current fascination with Alexander's alleged homosexualty and such. This is a compelling work nonetheless, and while the bias and emphasis are obvious and perhaps a bit annoying at times, we can forgive Ms. Renault for being a bit over zealous in her passions. What she tries to do is provide a rationale for some of Alexander's actions. Sometimes she can be faulted for reading too much into what limited information we have on him. Still, this is a passionate look at the man and his times. There are many Alexander's for us to ponder. Perhaps because he was so many things to so many different people, and because of the limited documentation many scholars are free to pursue their own views on what he might have been. Mary Renault is no exception in this regard. To me Alexander is primarily the Great Captain of history. He was never defeated in battle, his conquests ranged far and wide, and his tactical abilities were supreme. He should be remembered for this brilliance as opposed to his sexual proclivities which are important only for those who have certain aggendas to pursue. True Alexander had many different sides to his character it seems, and his short but full life is packed with all sorts of fascinating events. His conquests can be divided into many distinct phases toward his character. Was Alexander a liberalizing influnence who spread Hellenism for the benefit of mankind, or just a thuggish tyrant who ran amok in the decadent Persian Empire. The verdict shall remain open on this and many other questions involving his life. For sure this is a very pro-Alex bio. Renault can see little wrong with even some of his most controversial actions. But her writing style is grand and elegant, and even if slanted, is perhaps no more so than some of the revivisionist bios we encounter today. Alexander shall forever suffer from extreme view points. The nature of his life and achievements seems to make this so even in our own time. Renault is good at possibly reading into his thought processes at certain key moments of his life, and she paints a compelling portrait of his sense of mystery and pathos which ultimately contributed to his demise as much as anything else might have in the end.

2005-08-25 | Helpful Votes: 7 | Rating: 4

---

Very enjoyable read...
I'm one of the fortunate ones who have a hardback edition with the 4 page fold-out full color map of Alexander's travels (hehe).

Mary Reneaul has Alexander down pat, as far as I'm concerned. I admit I'm an Alexander enthusiast (pro-Alexander as opposed to, say, Bosworth's or Green's anti-Alexander). If you're from the anti- camp, you won't enjoy this book.

2005-05-24 | Rex A. Jones (Somewhere in Indiana, United States) | Helpful Votes: 8 | Rating: 5

---