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The Last of the Wine
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.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
About the author
Mary Renault
29 books1,563 followersMary Renault was an English writer best known for her historical novels set in Ancient Greece. In addition to vivid fictional portrayals of Theseus, Socrates, Plato and Alexander the Great, she wrote a non-fiction biography of Alexander.
Her historical novels are all set in ancient Greece. They include a pair of novels about the mythological hero Theseus and a trilogy about the career of Alexander the Great. In a sense, The Charioteer (1953), the story of two young gay servicemen in the 1940s who try to model their relationship on the ideals expressed in Plato's Phaedrus and Symposium, is a warm-up for Renault's historical novels. By turning away from the 20th century and focusing on stories about male lovers in the warrior societies of ancient Greece, Renault no longer had to deal with homosexuality and anti-gay prejudice as social "problems". Instead she was free to focus on larger ethical and philosophical concerns, while examining the nature of love and leadership. The Charioteer could not be published in the U.S. until 1959, after the success of The Last of the Wine proved that American readers and critics would accept a serious gay love story.
Her historical novels are all set in ancient Greece. They include a pair of novels about the mythological hero Theseus and a trilogy about the career of Alexander the Great. In a sense, The Charioteer (1953), the story of two young gay servicemen in the 1940s who try to model their relationship on the ideals expressed in Plato's Phaedrus and Symposium, is a warm-up for Renault's historical novels. By turning away from the 20th century and focusing on stories about male lovers in the warrior societies of ancient Greece, Renault no longer had to deal with homosexuality and anti-gay prejudice as social "problems". Instead she was free to focus on larger ethical and philosophical concerns, while examining the nature of love and leadership. The Charioteer could not be published in the U.S. until 1959, after the success of The Last of the Wine proved that American readers and critics would accept a serious gay love story.
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July 19, 2013
I cannot remember how I discovered Mary Renault’s novels, but most likely at my local library which I haunted. Although I read them all as a teenager, many years ago, their beauty and humanity are still a strong influence. While The King Must Die and the Alexandrian books may have had a stronger impact, it is the delicacy of the relationship between the young lovers portrayed in The Last of the Wine that remains with me.
Because of her empathetic portrayal of love between men, many of Mary Renault’s fans, including myself, suspected the author was actually a man. But her empathy goes even further. Even classicists have found her depiction of the physical and spiritual ambiance of Ancient Greece so accurate as to be uncanny.
It says a lot about a book that you feel a terrible sadness as you approach the final pages. It was a sense of loss not only of the characters but for the characters, for The Last of the Wine is a novel about loss, not only of youth and love, but of something much more profound, of honour.
The story is narrated by Alexias and tells of his growth into manhood in Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars. As a boy he meets Sokrates (Renault’s preferred spelling) whose disciple he later becomes, grows up with Plato and Xenophon and, together with his lover, Lysis, serves under Alkibiades. Through the novel we learn about the ins and outs of the wars, but, more importantly, we learn about the lives and beliefs of the Athenians. Speaking through her narrator, Renault enters deep into their world view, taking for granted, as her narrator does, their spiritual beliefs, their lore and their laws.
From the very first chapter we are thrust into a world totally foreign to our own, but portrayed entirely on its own terms. Alexias is born, small and puny, during a disastrous plague. His father, known as Myron the Beautiful, is on the verge of exposing him when he learns that his younger brother has died. Alexias’ uncle, on hearing that the boy he was in love with was ill, has gone to him, and seeing that the boy was dying, has taken hemlock so that they can make the journey together. Myron is distressed that he is not able to retrieve their bodies so as to bury them together. On returning home he sees that his wife has taken to the baby and does not have the heart to take it from her.
A whole world is displayed in this story – a father’s right to condemn a child to death, his relationship with a wife he considers as little more than a child, an acceptance, nay a celebration, of love between men, and in particular an older man for a younger, and the narrator’s respect for his father despite knowing that his father does not value him.
Renault was often criticised for her portrayal of women in her Greek novels, but she is only showing their actual position in Athenian society. Women are bound to the house and the household. Their honour resides in remaining invisible and nameless. Indeed, it is considered disrespectful of a woman even to talk about her. If a woman is seen in public, she is either a slave or a courtesan. Men in their thirties marry teenage girls, girls that they think of as children, and that they expect to train as their ideal housekeeper.
It is no wonder that in such a world, men would look to other men for their emotional and sexual relationships. It is such an accepted and normalised part of life that Alexias pities his friend Xenophon because he seems incapable of loving a man. But these relationships are heavily circumscribed. Boys are expected to be courted by older suitors from an early age, but their honour resides in choosing a friend who is honourable and will be a fitting mentor, for this relationship is meant to prepare the boy for manhood. The beautiful, thoughtful and brave Lysis is just such an ideal suitor.
However, their sexual relationship is portrayed in coy, elliptical terms, reflecting, I assume, the narrator’s reticence on these matters, (or is it Renault’s own reticence? After all she was writing in the 1950s), that verge on the frustrating. I was also interested to note that although Alexias and Lysis become friends when Alexias is sixteen, they do not become lovers until he is eighteen. According to Alexias, this restraint is due to Sokrates’ influence, but I wonder how much it was due to Renault’s own twentieth-century sensibilities.
Yet, at the same time, I cannot remember being so frustrated when I first read this so many years ago. Perhaps to a sheltered girl, these hints were enough, for I have a clear memory of the moment they become lovers. And as a romantic teenager, I probably saw that preliminary time of passion and restraint as an expected prelude to a sexual relationship. What is it saying about me, my age and my times that, on this reading, I kept wondering what was taking them so long?
But this story is not only about sexual politics. Mary Renault was writing in a time of political turmoil and this is reflected in The Last of the Wine.
The Athens Alexias is born into is a city of high ideals – a city of beauty, honour, the search for truth and democracy. But through the course of the war, all of these ideals are slowly lost or corrupted. Respect for the law and the person are eroded. The democracy Alexias values is undermined and overturned. The victorious Spartans establish an oligarchic government which turns into a ruthless tyranny. Alexias feels this decay deeply as his own honour is bound up in his city. Disillusioned, he and Lysis leave Athens to join a rebellion against its rulers. The oligarchy is defeated, but the democracy that replaces it sadly promises to become a tyranny of the banal. The novel ends with a foreshadowing of Sokrates’ fate.
The Last of the Wine was Mary Renault’s first novel of Ancient Greece and it established her as one of the greatest historical novelists of all time. Her empathy for the times and people she portrays, her poetic use of language and her vision can only be emulated by other writers, but, I fear, rarely equalled.
Because of her empathetic portrayal of love between men, many of Mary Renault’s fans, including myself, suspected the author was actually a man. But her empathy goes even further. Even classicists have found her depiction of the physical and spiritual ambiance of Ancient Greece so accurate as to be uncanny.
It says a lot about a book that you feel a terrible sadness as you approach the final pages. It was a sense of loss not only of the characters but for the characters, for The Last of the Wine is a novel about loss, not only of youth and love, but of something much more profound, of honour.
The story is narrated by Alexias and tells of his growth into manhood in Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars. As a boy he meets Sokrates (Renault’s preferred spelling) whose disciple he later becomes, grows up with Plato and Xenophon and, together with his lover, Lysis, serves under Alkibiades. Through the novel we learn about the ins and outs of the wars, but, more importantly, we learn about the lives and beliefs of the Athenians. Speaking through her narrator, Renault enters deep into their world view, taking for granted, as her narrator does, their spiritual beliefs, their lore and their laws.
From the very first chapter we are thrust into a world totally foreign to our own, but portrayed entirely on its own terms. Alexias is born, small and puny, during a disastrous plague. His father, known as Myron the Beautiful, is on the verge of exposing him when he learns that his younger brother has died. Alexias’ uncle, on hearing that the boy he was in love with was ill, has gone to him, and seeing that the boy was dying, has taken hemlock so that they can make the journey together. Myron is distressed that he is not able to retrieve their bodies so as to bury them together. On returning home he sees that his wife has taken to the baby and does not have the heart to take it from her.
A whole world is displayed in this story – a father’s right to condemn a child to death, his relationship with a wife he considers as little more than a child, an acceptance, nay a celebration, of love between men, and in particular an older man for a younger, and the narrator’s respect for his father despite knowing that his father does not value him.
Renault was often criticised for her portrayal of women in her Greek novels, but she is only showing their actual position in Athenian society. Women are bound to the house and the household. Their honour resides in remaining invisible and nameless. Indeed, it is considered disrespectful of a woman even to talk about her. If a woman is seen in public, she is either a slave or a courtesan. Men in their thirties marry teenage girls, girls that they think of as children, and that they expect to train as their ideal housekeeper.
It is no wonder that in such a world, men would look to other men for their emotional and sexual relationships. It is such an accepted and normalised part of life that Alexias pities his friend Xenophon because he seems incapable of loving a man. But these relationships are heavily circumscribed. Boys are expected to be courted by older suitors from an early age, but their honour resides in choosing a friend who is honourable and will be a fitting mentor, for this relationship is meant to prepare the boy for manhood. The beautiful, thoughtful and brave Lysis is just such an ideal suitor.
However, their sexual relationship is portrayed in coy, elliptical terms, reflecting, I assume, the narrator’s reticence on these matters, (or is it Renault’s own reticence? After all she was writing in the 1950s), that verge on the frustrating. I was also interested to note that although Alexias and Lysis become friends when Alexias is sixteen, they do not become lovers until he is eighteen. According to Alexias, this restraint is due to Sokrates’ influence, but I wonder how much it was due to Renault’s own twentieth-century sensibilities.
Yet, at the same time, I cannot remember being so frustrated when I first read this so many years ago. Perhaps to a sheltered girl, these hints were enough, for I have a clear memory of the moment they become lovers. And as a romantic teenager, I probably saw that preliminary time of passion and restraint as an expected prelude to a sexual relationship. What is it saying about me, my age and my times that, on this reading, I kept wondering what was taking them so long?
But this story is not only about sexual politics. Mary Renault was writing in a time of political turmoil and this is reflected in The Last of the Wine.
The Athens Alexias is born into is a city of high ideals – a city of beauty, honour, the search for truth and democracy. But through the course of the war, all of these ideals are slowly lost or corrupted. Respect for the law and the person are eroded. The democracy Alexias values is undermined and overturned. The victorious Spartans establish an oligarchic government which turns into a ruthless tyranny. Alexias feels this decay deeply as his own honour is bound up in his city. Disillusioned, he and Lysis leave Athens to join a rebellion against its rulers. The oligarchy is defeated, but the democracy that replaces it sadly promises to become a tyranny of the banal. The novel ends with a foreshadowing of Sokrates’ fate.
The Last of the Wine was Mary Renault’s first novel of Ancient Greece and it established her as one of the greatest historical novelists of all time. Her empathy for the times and people she portrays, her poetic use of language and her vision can only be emulated by other writers, but, I fear, rarely equalled.
October 29, 2018
Later edit 29th of Oct, 2018: I said in my review there is no sex in this book, but I have to scratch that. After a 24 hours debate (literally) with Teal and Moony we got to the conclusion this book contains one of the greatest sex scenes ever written in history, you just have to look beyond the symbolism. A Masters thesis could be written from the sentence analysis we did, lol. Thanks to Teal for opening our eyes to see it.
If you came for an easy read, I bid you to find some other book. This book will rip your heart apart from the first paragraph, and will continue its sweet, beautiful torture till the end. It will leave an emptiness inside you and a longing for something I still cannot put my finger on what it is.
I can’t remember ever reading a book where grief and death were such a big part of it. At times I couldn’t bear it anymore and had to take a break from reading.
We see everything through the eyes of Alexias, a man who as a boy would have been killed by his father for being born too early and too small, if not for his mother.
We see him take hard decisions that we can’t even comprehend today.
If you are a lover of Ancient Greece, philosophy, Olympic games, mythology and the Peloponnesian War, if you are a lover of classic literature so well written and documented it gives you the impression the author was an immortal who had lived in that era, if you are a lover of complex characters, honor, and love of the “good and beautiful”, then read this book asap, if you haven't already done so.
Don't read it if you are interested only in M/M love, or hot sex (there is none) because the focus is far beyond that and you will be disappointed. And if I see any reviews with "I'm dropping this because there is no sex" I'm gonna be very heartbroken.
This book has easily entered my top 10 favorite books, right between Henryk Sienkiewicz “Trilogy”& “Qvo Vadis”, Madeline Miller’s “Song of Achilles” and Eiji Yoshikawa’s “Musashi”. For me, this was better than “Qvo Vadis”, “Song of Achilles” and “Musashi”. Nothing still beats the “Trilogy” though.
“I saw death come for you, and I had no philosophy.”
If you came for an easy read, I bid you to find some other book. This book will rip your heart apart from the first paragraph, and will continue its sweet, beautiful torture till the end. It will leave an emptiness inside you and a longing for something I still cannot put my finger on what it is.
I can’t remember ever reading a book where grief and death were such a big part of it. At times I couldn’t bear it anymore and had to take a break from reading.
"When I was a young boy, if I was sick or in trouble, or had been beaten at school, I used to remember that on the day I was born my father had wanted to kill me."
We see everything through the eyes of Alexias, a man who as a boy would have been killed by his father for being born too early and too small, if not for his mother.
“Everything is change; and you cannot step twice into the same river.”
We see him take hard decisions that we can’t even comprehend today.
"As the gods hear me, Alexias, your good shall be mine, and your honor shall be like my own to me; and I will stand to it with my life."
If you are a lover of Ancient Greece, philosophy, Olympic games, mythology and the Peloponnesian War, if you are a lover of classic literature so well written and documented it gives you the impression the author was an immortal who had lived in that era, if you are a lover of complex characters, honor, and love of the “good and beautiful”, then read this book asap, if you haven't already done so.
Don't read it if you are interested only in M/M love, or hot sex (there is none) because the focus is far beyond that and you will be disappointed. And if I see any reviews with "I'm dropping this because there is no sex" I'm gonna be very heartbroken.
This book has easily entered my top 10 favorite books, right between Henryk Sienkiewicz “Trilogy”& “Qvo Vadis”, Madeline Miller’s “Song of Achilles” and Eiji Yoshikawa’s “Musashi”. For me, this was better than “Qvo Vadis”, “Song of Achilles” and “Musashi”. Nothing still beats the “Trilogy” though.
“It is said, ‘If Fate were moved by tears, men would offer gold to buy them.”
June 18, 2015
Renault once again does a stellar job bringing Classical Greece to life with the story of Alexias, scion of a minor patrician family in Athens during the era when the city felt turmoil both from within and from without as they experienced not only the aggression of Sparta during Peloponnesian War, but also the existence of philosopher and iconoclast Sokrates. At its core this is a tale about love, primarily the love of Alexias for his best friend and lover Lysis; though it is also about the different kind of love Alexias has for his step-mother, one of the greatest nurturing elements of his life; the much more complicated love he has for his father, a hard man of unbending principle; and finally the love he has for the truth as learned from the peripatetic sage and gadfly buzzing in the faces of Athens’ elite, Sokrates.
The story is pretty straightforward and documents Alexias’ growth from a child who was nearly left to die of exposure after birth to a young man of some fame, noted for both his beauty and integrity. He experiences the hardship and rigors of war (along with its occasions for camaraderie and glory), feels the exultation of competing in the great athletic events of the day, and learns to question the mores blindly passed onto him by the earlier generation in favour of a more clear-headed examination of truth not solely based on traditionally held assumptions.
The novel is chock-full of famous figures of the era: Alkibiades the statesman, turncoat, warrior, and all-around golden boy loved by both Perikles and Sokrates; the afore-mentioned Sokrates seen at the height of his ‘malign’ influence on the youth of Athens; Plato and Xenophon, two of Sokrates most famous pupils, not to mention many others perhaps only ‘famous’ through their inclusion in Platonic dialogues. The use of famous historical figures can be a bit of a pitfall for authors of historical fiction as they have to either start inventing them out of whole cloth, or pick and choose which ‘version’ of the individual to present. I think Renault had a much better time of it in this book than she perhaps did in the Alexander books: there I think she may have been a bit starry-eyed and created an Alexander who, while eminently interesting, could pretty much do no wrong. She obviously has a deep affection for Sokrates and his circle, but I felt she managed to avoid some of the pitfalls of hero-worship that she fell into with Alexander.
Renault tackles many issues in this story: the many modes and types of love; the place of tradition vs. investigation of the new; the benefits and pitfalls of both the rule of the many and the rule of the few; the struggle between personal desire and communal responsibility, all expressed through the actions and decisions of Alexias as he grows from a boy into a man. Alexias is an interesting figure: someone from a ‘noble’ patrician family who is still committed to the best of the democratic ideals, a follower of Sokrates who still values many of the Athenian traditions his mentor questions. He is a man who comes to realize what it is he fights for when he fights for his city, whether his enemies be the Spartans, their Vichy-like patrician puppets, or even the democratic demagogues that finally win power and I think his vision provides an adroit epigraph for the book:
I love visiting ancient Greece with Renault and am sad to see that only two books remain to me in her oeuvre as new experiences. Ah well, that is what re-reading is for, right?
The story is pretty straightforward and documents Alexias’ growth from a child who was nearly left to die of exposure after birth to a young man of some fame, noted for both his beauty and integrity. He experiences the hardship and rigors of war (along with its occasions for camaraderie and glory), feels the exultation of competing in the great athletic events of the day, and learns to question the mores blindly passed onto him by the earlier generation in favour of a more clear-headed examination of truth not solely based on traditionally held assumptions.
The novel is chock-full of famous figures of the era: Alkibiades the statesman, turncoat, warrior, and all-around golden boy loved by both Perikles and Sokrates; the afore-mentioned Sokrates seen at the height of his ‘malign’ influence on the youth of Athens; Plato and Xenophon, two of Sokrates most famous pupils, not to mention many others perhaps only ‘famous’ through their inclusion in Platonic dialogues. The use of famous historical figures can be a bit of a pitfall for authors of historical fiction as they have to either start inventing them out of whole cloth, or pick and choose which ‘version’ of the individual to present. I think Renault had a much better time of it in this book than she perhaps did in the Alexander books: there I think she may have been a bit starry-eyed and created an Alexander who, while eminently interesting, could pretty much do no wrong. She obviously has a deep affection for Sokrates and his circle, but I felt she managed to avoid some of the pitfalls of hero-worship that she fell into with Alexander.
Renault tackles many issues in this story: the many modes and types of love; the place of tradition vs. investigation of the new; the benefits and pitfalls of both the rule of the many and the rule of the few; the struggle between personal desire and communal responsibility, all expressed through the actions and decisions of Alexias as he grows from a boy into a man. Alexias is an interesting figure: someone from a ‘noble’ patrician family who is still committed to the best of the democratic ideals, a follower of Sokrates who still values many of the Athenian traditions his mentor questions. He is a man who comes to realize what it is he fights for when he fights for his city, whether his enemies be the Spartans, their Vichy-like patrician puppets, or even the democratic demagogues that finally win power and I think his vision provides an adroit epigraph for the book:
Must we forsake the love of excellence, then, till every citizen feels it alike? I did not fight, Anytos, to be crowned where I have not run; but for a City where I can know who my equals really are, and my betters, to do them honour; where a man’s daily life is his own business; and where no one will force a lie on me because it is expedient, or some other man’s will.
I love visiting ancient Greece with Renault and am sad to see that only two books remain to me in her oeuvre as new experiences. Ah well, that is what re-reading is for, right?
January 6, 2022
Mary Renault, nacida en 1905, fue una escritora británica de novelas históricas, en su mayor parte ambientadas en la Grecia clásica, y otras contemporáneas, a menudo con temática homosexual. No es una escritora muy conocida en nuestro país, pero su obra destaca por su calidad narrativa y por su buena documentación histórica.
'El último vino' fue escrita en 1956, y es una buena muestra de su arte. Narra la adolescencia y juventud de Alexis, perteneciente a la nobeza ateniense, con el telón de fondo de las guerras del Peloponeso y con personajes como Sócrates o Platón. La autora nos detalla la educación del joven y su amor por Lysis, un hombre mayor que él, un tipo de relación que estaba bien vista en la época y formaba parte de la integración de los efebos en la sociedad, como paso previo al matrimonio. Juntos tomarán parte en la vida social y política de la ciudad y lucharán en la guerra, donde también encontraremos personajes como el general Alcibiades. Todo está descrito con gran sensibilidad, aunque hay muchas escenas de batallas, que pueden resultar muy crudas.
En conjunto es una obra muy recomendable - entre muchas otras de la autora - para conocer la educación en el mundo clásico y la concepción que tenían de la sexualidad, así como algunos de los momentos y personajes clave en la historia de Atenas.
'El último vino' fue escrita en 1956, y es una buena muestra de su arte. Narra la adolescencia y juventud de Alexis, perteneciente a la nobeza ateniense, con el telón de fondo de las guerras del Peloponeso y con personajes como Sócrates o Platón. La autora nos detalla la educación del joven y su amor por Lysis, un hombre mayor que él, un tipo de relación que estaba bien vista en la época y formaba parte de la integración de los efebos en la sociedad, como paso previo al matrimonio. Juntos tomarán parte en la vida social y política de la ciudad y lucharán en la guerra, donde también encontraremos personajes como el general Alcibiades. Todo está descrito con gran sensibilidad, aunque hay muchas escenas de batallas, que pueden resultar muy crudas.
En conjunto es una obra muy recomendable - entre muchas otras de la autora - para conocer la educación en el mundo clásico y la concepción que tenían de la sexualidad, así como algunos de los momentos y personajes clave en la historia de Atenas.
September 26, 2021
Beautiful and very different to her trilogy about Alexander the Great (perhaps because she wasn't writing about her god-like idealised hero), but again so engaging and such a vividly realised ancient world. Thank you, Mary, for letting me visit Ancient Athens.
This is a coming of age story of Alexias, a noble Athenian youth and a great runner and him growing up during Peloponnesian War. And the world is, once again, ancient. For example, Alexias' mother gave birth to a girl while her husband was at war, so he, the father, told his son to expose the child if it was a girl. He did not, but not because there was anything wrong with his father exercising his right to determine what children he wants to keep.
The scene of Spartan siege and resulting starvation of Athens was brutal.
But I need to warn you, if you're going into this story expecting a love story between Alexias and Lysis, you'd be disappointed. They love each other, of course, first romantically and later I felt like brothers, their connection is powerful, but the romance in not in the forefront of the story. It's not a romance novel at all.
But if you're interested in reading about ancient customs, famous war, Socrates' teaching and discussions about democracy, oligarchy and tyranny, then I can't recommend this strongly enough.
This is a coming of age story of Alexias, a noble Athenian youth and a great runner and him growing up during Peloponnesian War. And the world is, once again, ancient. For example, Alexias' mother gave birth to a girl while her husband was at war, so he, the father, told his son to expose the child if it was a girl. He did not, but not because there was anything wrong with his father exercising his right to determine what children he wants to keep.
The scene of Spartan siege and resulting starvation of Athens was brutal.
But I need to warn you, if you're going into this story expecting a love story between Alexias and Lysis, you'd be disappointed. They love each other, of course, first romantically and later I felt like brothers, their connection is powerful, but the romance in not in the forefront of the story. It's not a romance novel at all.
But if you're interested in reading about ancient customs, famous war, Socrates' teaching and discussions about democracy, oligarchy and tyranny, then I can't recommend this strongly enough.
July 17, 2020
There are so many things that could be said about Mary Renault's The Last of the Wine and I don't want to turn this review into an essay. I'll try therefore to keep it short and personal.
The first wonderful paragraph of the novel ( When I was a young boy, if I was sick or in trouble, or had been beaten at school, I used to remember that on the day I was born my father had wanted to kill me. ) sets the tone for the narration and for the book's main character, Alexias, a young Athenian living in the 5th century B.C. and witnessing the political, philosophical and cultural changes of the era.
Alexias navigates his life with a sense of curiosity and open wonderment. He finds himself attracted to the thoughts of Socrates and through his circle of students, Alexias gets to know many interesting personalities that will contribute to and shape his growing up. The most important of these personalities is Lysis, a slightly older man with whom Alexias will form a very strong relationship made of loyalty, trust, mutual love and respect. I think this quotation says it all:
I felt Lysis look at me, and turned towards him. Understanding each other, we got up and walked out through the gardens into the streets. We did not speak, having no need of it, but made for the High City, and climbed the stairway side by side. Leaning on the northern wall we looked out to the mountains. On the tops of Parnes the first snow had fallen; the day was bright and blue, with a few small clouds, white and violet-dark. The wind from the north blew our hair from our brows, and streamed our garments behind us. The air was clear, keen, and filled with light. It seemed to us that at our command the wind would have lifted us like eagles, that our home was the sky. We joined our hands; they were cold, so that in clasping them we felt the bone within the flesh. Still we had not spoken; or not with words. Turning from the wall we saw people offering at the altars or going in and out of the temples; it had seemed to us that the place was empty, but for ourselves. When we came to the great altar of Athene I stopped and said, “Shall we swear it?” He thought for a moment and answered, “No. When a man needs an oath, he has repented that he swore it, and is compelled by fear. This must come from our own souls, and from love.
The relationship between Alexias and Lysis is treated by Renault in an incredible manner. It's tender and passionate - even though there are no explicit love scenes in the book, the physical bond between them is really powerful and clear. Their support for each other through wars, political upheavals, sieges and personal tragedies constitutes the strong backbone of the novel and it's on that that Renault inserts her wonderful reconstruction of ancient Greece and of the Athens of the 5th century B.C. that come across as vivid and completely alive.
The relationship between Alexias and his two fathers - his biological one, Myron, and his philosophical one, Socrates - is another aspect of the novel that I really loved. Alexias' father often seems aloof and cruel but there are unexpected moments of tenderness between him and his son and the way Alexias grows into his own and learns to deal with his father's difficult personality is another beautiful recurrent element in the book.
It's very often said that Mary Renault "invented" Ancient Greece in fiction and I think it'd be impossible to argue the contrary. The vividness of all the characters, from the invented ones to the historical ones, is astonishing and the writing style - complex and rich - is a thing of beauty.
Very highly recommended!
The first wonderful paragraph of the novel ( When I was a young boy, if I was sick or in trouble, or had been beaten at school, I used to remember that on the day I was born my father had wanted to kill me. ) sets the tone for the narration and for the book's main character, Alexias, a young Athenian living in the 5th century B.C. and witnessing the political, philosophical and cultural changes of the era.
Alexias navigates his life with a sense of curiosity and open wonderment. He finds himself attracted to the thoughts of Socrates and through his circle of students, Alexias gets to know many interesting personalities that will contribute to and shape his growing up. The most important of these personalities is Lysis, a slightly older man with whom Alexias will form a very strong relationship made of loyalty, trust, mutual love and respect. I think this quotation says it all:
I felt Lysis look at me, and turned towards him. Understanding each other, we got up and walked out through the gardens into the streets. We did not speak, having no need of it, but made for the High City, and climbed the stairway side by side. Leaning on the northern wall we looked out to the mountains. On the tops of Parnes the first snow had fallen; the day was bright and blue, with a few small clouds, white and violet-dark. The wind from the north blew our hair from our brows, and streamed our garments behind us. The air was clear, keen, and filled with light. It seemed to us that at our command the wind would have lifted us like eagles, that our home was the sky. We joined our hands; they were cold, so that in clasping them we felt the bone within the flesh. Still we had not spoken; or not with words. Turning from the wall we saw people offering at the altars or going in and out of the temples; it had seemed to us that the place was empty, but for ourselves. When we came to the great altar of Athene I stopped and said, “Shall we swear it?” He thought for a moment and answered, “No. When a man needs an oath, he has repented that he swore it, and is compelled by fear. This must come from our own souls, and from love.
The relationship between Alexias and Lysis is treated by Renault in an incredible manner. It's tender and passionate - even though there are no explicit love scenes in the book, the physical bond between them is really powerful and clear. Their support for each other through wars, political upheavals, sieges and personal tragedies constitutes the strong backbone of the novel and it's on that that Renault inserts her wonderful reconstruction of ancient Greece and of the Athens of the 5th century B.C. that come across as vivid and completely alive.
The relationship between Alexias and his two fathers - his biological one, Myron, and his philosophical one, Socrates - is another aspect of the novel that I really loved. Alexias' father often seems aloof and cruel but there are unexpected moments of tenderness between him and his son and the way Alexias grows into his own and learns to deal with his father's difficult personality is another beautiful recurrent element in the book.
It's very often said that Mary Renault "invented" Ancient Greece in fiction and I think it'd be impossible to argue the contrary. The vividness of all the characters, from the invented ones to the historical ones, is astonishing and the writing style - complex and rich - is a thing of beauty.
Very highly recommended!
September 16, 2019
I went through a few phases with this book. At first I was drawn in and hanging on every word. Her recreation of Classical Athens is outstanding and you really do feel like you’re walking the ancient streets and listening to real Greeks. But after a while of this everything started to feel rather like we’ve already seen it all. The plot takes a long while to go anywhere and we spend most of our time wandering the city, listening to Socrates, and practicing for war. The warlike material itself is probably the least interesting part of the book. But then, after I’d gotten tired of it all, the book staged a miraculous comeback with a marvelous depiction of the final stage of the Peloponnesian War culminating with the overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants.
I suppose what I’m saying is that the book needs pruning. At over 600 pages (and this despite space-saving measures like clustering all the dialogue into single paragraphs) even the greatest of elements can wear out its welcome. This was Renault’s first Greek book and it does, unfortunately, show. Her later books frequently suffer from the same bloat, but manage to contain it better.
And yet, somehow, the book feels near flawless. When it works it WORKS , when it doesn’t work you just wish it would start working again.
This book is about many things. It’s about Classical Athens obviously, and the Peloponnesian War specifically. It’s about the cultural and philosophical life of Greece. It’s about homosexuality (specifically the idealized Greek pederastic kind). But mainly I feel it’s about philosophy and the love of excellence that so defined the Greek mind.
Socrates and his circle are right at the center of this book’s soul and it does not disappoint. Socrates is one of those rare people whose personality is immediately identifiable. Alcibiades has dozens of conflicting interpretations. Every take I’ve seen on Socrates, from Plato to The Road to Sardis to Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey all feel like the same man. Of course, there are different degrees of success. Renault really captures something of his brilliant mind. His philosophical musings come very close to the way Plato described them. And the way he good-humoredly interrogates everyone for answers, undermining the unexamined assumptions, even when this pisses people off is so very Socrates. And the best part about him is that, while he doesn’t really grow as a character, the final stages of the novel give him the chance to really put his philosophy into action and take a firm and lonely stand against the worst of tyrannies. It’s fair to say I don’t think he’s been shown better.
Alexias doesn’t interest me much as a character. Like a lot of ‘50s historical fiction protagonists he’s mostly there to be a paragon of virtue amid troubled times. The only time I recall him ever doing something wrong is during the excellent description of the trial of the generals. He gets carried away with passion (for understandable reasons) and only afterwards realizes the horrible mistake that was made. Other than that he’s fairly milquetoast, and the same can be said for his lover Lysis.
The reason this doesn’t matter is that both characters are only there as a conduit for various ideas. As a couple they are an exploration of Greek love, particularly the educational and virtuous striving for excellence that was such a key component. As individuals they represent (elite) Athenian intellectuals and the philosophical/cultural beliefs of the society. While this could bother me were this novel less well written (and perhaps it helps explain why the middle section could be so dragging) I never had a problem with it here. Two excellent people searching for greater excellence is such a uniquely Greek thing I have to approve.
Mary Renault’s books are probably the closest we will ever come to experiencing the wonder of Classical Greece in its heyday. When I read her books I can feel the stones of Ancient Athens beneath my feet. You can feel the excitement of new ideas and the patterns of traditional thought. Only wandering the ruins of the Acropolis can bring you closer. This book is the best recreation of Ancient Athens I’ve ever read. There are more stories I want to see told, more aspects of ancient life I’d like to see recreated, but for the story it tells (and it covers a lot) it will be hard to better this.
Plot: 10 (Slow in middle, but always strong)
Characters: 10 (Every one distinctive, especially Socrates)
Accuracy: 10 (Only minor objections on matters of interpretation)
I suppose what I’m saying is that the book needs pruning. At over 600 pages (and this despite space-saving measures like clustering all the dialogue into single paragraphs) even the greatest of elements can wear out its welcome. This was Renault’s first Greek book and it does, unfortunately, show. Her later books frequently suffer from the same bloat, but manage to contain it better.
And yet, somehow, the book feels near flawless. When it works it WORKS , when it doesn’t work you just wish it would start working again.
This book is about many things. It’s about Classical Athens obviously, and the Peloponnesian War specifically. It’s about the cultural and philosophical life of Greece. It’s about homosexuality (specifically the idealized Greek pederastic kind). But mainly I feel it’s about philosophy and the love of excellence that so defined the Greek mind.
Socrates and his circle are right at the center of this book’s soul and it does not disappoint. Socrates is one of those rare people whose personality is immediately identifiable. Alcibiades has dozens of conflicting interpretations. Every take I’ve seen on Socrates, from Plato to The Road to Sardis to Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey all feel like the same man. Of course, there are different degrees of success. Renault really captures something of his brilliant mind. His philosophical musings come very close to the way Plato described them. And the way he good-humoredly interrogates everyone for answers, undermining the unexamined assumptions, even when this pisses people off is so very Socrates. And the best part about him is that, while he doesn’t really grow as a character, the final stages of the novel give him the chance to really put his philosophy into action and take a firm and lonely stand against the worst of tyrannies. It’s fair to say I don’t think he’s been shown better.
Alexias doesn’t interest me much as a character. Like a lot of ‘50s historical fiction protagonists he’s mostly there to be a paragon of virtue amid troubled times. The only time I recall him ever doing something wrong is during the excellent description of the trial of the generals. He gets carried away with passion (for understandable reasons) and only afterwards realizes the horrible mistake that was made. Other than that he’s fairly milquetoast, and the same can be said for his lover Lysis.
The reason this doesn’t matter is that both characters are only there as a conduit for various ideas. As a couple they are an exploration of Greek love, particularly the educational and virtuous striving for excellence that was such a key component. As individuals they represent (elite) Athenian intellectuals and the philosophical/cultural beliefs of the society. While this could bother me were this novel less well written (and perhaps it helps explain why the middle section could be so dragging) I never had a problem with it here. Two excellent people searching for greater excellence is such a uniquely Greek thing I have to approve.
Mary Renault’s books are probably the closest we will ever come to experiencing the wonder of Classical Greece in its heyday. When I read her books I can feel the stones of Ancient Athens beneath my feet. You can feel the excitement of new ideas and the patterns of traditional thought. Only wandering the ruins of the Acropolis can bring you closer. This book is the best recreation of Ancient Athens I’ve ever read. There are more stories I want to see told, more aspects of ancient life I’d like to see recreated, but for the story it tells (and it covers a lot) it will be hard to better this.
Plot: 10 (Slow in middle, but always strong)
Characters: 10 (Every one distinctive, especially Socrates)
Accuracy: 10 (Only minor objections on matters of interpretation)
July 6, 2024
With a wealth of delightful and well documented details Renault conjures up fifth century Athens more vividly and more truly than almost any other historical novel set in that period. In fact, I think it’s difficult to find any other book, fiction or non-fiction, that gives a better idea of the intricacies of the complex social structures and interactions of the Athenian upper class at the end of the fifth century BC.
The story is basically the story of the Peloponnesian War made personal, with the love of two men as the focal point. They share in some of the action, but most of the big events remain in the background, as between p. 259 and p. 260, where the narrator skips four years of adventures on the Athenian fleet under the command of Alkibiades, all but deciding the war in his favour. (Renault did not want to tell all this, because she had other interests, okay, fair enough, but one would think that her narrator Alexias would have been proud enough of his exploits. It seems unfair to me that Renault does not allow him to shine for us with his role in the most remarkable campaign in the war.)
I loved to read all this, because I love the setting. And it is all very well done. The question remains, however, as to the purpose and the urgency of the story. But perhaps this question is unfair.
The story is basically the story of the Peloponnesian War made personal, with the love of two men as the focal point. They share in some of the action, but most of the big events remain in the background, as between p. 259 and p. 260, where the narrator skips four years of adventures on the Athenian fleet under the command of Alkibiades, all but deciding the war in his favour. (Renault did not want to tell all this, because she had other interests, okay, fair enough, but one would think that her narrator Alexias would have been proud enough of his exploits. It seems unfair to me that Renault does not allow him to shine for us with his role in the most remarkable campaign in the war.)
I loved to read all this, because I love the setting. And it is all very well done. The question remains, however, as to the purpose and the urgency of the story. But perhaps this question is unfair.
February 20, 2012
Short review: This is one of the best books I've ever had the privilege of reading.
Long review:
I put off finishing this book for a long time — years — but only because I love the characters so deeply, and based on the book's sad opening, I was afraid of a sad ending. Normally this wouldn't cause me to hesitate, as I like sad endings, but in this case, I was so incredibly attached to the characters, I couldn't bear the thought of it.
And the characters are, for me, the absolute heart of this book. I love them in a way I rarely come to love fictional (or fictionalized) characters. Alexias and Lysis, each fascinating and inspiring individually, are adorable together, the sort of couple that makes me hopeful about relationships in general. Their dedication to constantly pursuing a higher standard of behavior makes me want to be a better person myself. And of course, I now have a nagging fascination with Xenophon, Socrates, etc.
My only complaint about Wine is how much of the story is about the war, with all the politics and battles and state-level dramas. When I'm in the mood for that sort of thing, Renault is fantastic at it — but when I just want to know what's going on with Lysis and Alexias, the latest exploits of Alkibiades are less than satisfying.
There are a great many tragic moments in this book, many of which are not stated directly but are left for the reader to apprehend for him or herself. I loved this, because it made me almost a participant in the story.
The language is thick and not easy or fast to read, but while I often found it challenging, there was never a sentence that wasn't worth deciphering, in the end. Frankly, the language is beautiful and extraordinarily poetic. I can see how the forcefully slowed pace could be annoying, but as I said, I was in no hurry to finish for another reason, and the language's intricacy gave me something to savor.
Another criticism I've seen of this book is the deluge of references to ancient Greek culture and historical events. Personally, these barriers were not a great hindrance to the story itself for me. Maybe I had just barely enough background knowledge that it wasn't an issue for me; I don't know. But it's given me not only a lengthy list of people, places, events, and cultural trivia to look up and study in more depth — it's given me a reason to care about these things. This book is the reason I'm taking the time to learn more about Socrates, Sparta, the Peloponnesian War (which I still know almost nothing about), the Persian Empire, and the economics of ancient Athens. It's the reason I'm now re-reading Homer and Aristophanes and, yes, enjoying a fresh, lively new perspective on them.
And when I've done more research on these topics, I look forward to re-reading Wine and getting a new perspective on that, too.
Long review:
I put off finishing this book for a long time — years — but only because I love the characters so deeply, and based on the book's sad opening, I was afraid of a sad ending. Normally this wouldn't cause me to hesitate, as I like sad endings, but in this case, I was so incredibly attached to the characters, I couldn't bear the thought of it.
And the characters are, for me, the absolute heart of this book. I love them in a way I rarely come to love fictional (or fictionalized) characters. Alexias and Lysis, each fascinating and inspiring individually, are adorable together, the sort of couple that makes me hopeful about relationships in general. Their dedication to constantly pursuing a higher standard of behavior makes me want to be a better person myself. And of course, I now have a nagging fascination with Xenophon, Socrates, etc.
My only complaint about Wine is how much of the story is about the war, with all the politics and battles and state-level dramas. When I'm in the mood for that sort of thing, Renault is fantastic at it — but when I just want to know what's going on with Lysis and Alexias, the latest exploits of Alkibiades are less than satisfying.
There are a great many tragic moments in this book, many of which are not stated directly but are left for the reader to apprehend for him or herself. I loved this, because it made me almost a participant in the story.
The language is thick and not easy or fast to read, but while I often found it challenging, there was never a sentence that wasn't worth deciphering, in the end. Frankly, the language is beautiful and extraordinarily poetic. I can see how the forcefully slowed pace could be annoying, but as I said, I was in no hurry to finish for another reason, and the language's intricacy gave me something to savor.
Another criticism I've seen of this book is the deluge of references to ancient Greek culture and historical events. Personally, these barriers were not a great hindrance to the story itself for me. Maybe I had just barely enough background knowledge that it wasn't an issue for me; I don't know. But it's given me not only a lengthy list of people, places, events, and cultural trivia to look up and study in more depth — it's given me a reason to care about these things. This book is the reason I'm taking the time to learn more about Socrates, Sparta, the Peloponnesian War (which I still know almost nothing about), the Persian Empire, and the economics of ancient Athens. It's the reason I'm now re-reading Homer and Aristophanes and, yes, enjoying a fresh, lively new perspective on them.
And when I've done more research on these topics, I look forward to re-reading Wine and getting a new perspective on that, too.
June 5, 2007
The Last of the Wine, although set in the ancient Greek world, like the Fire from Heaven trilogy, it's a very different work. Even though the three works of the trilogy have some fabulous characters, and some fabulous character development, the action and the spectacle of Alexander's life is just as much as big a part of the book. The Last of the Wine is very different. Although it takes place in Greece in the fifth century BC, the time of the great upheaval caused by the Peloponnesian Wars, and though the main character, Alexias, takes part in this conflict, it's a much more subdued and sober book than the trilogy.
Renault concentrates much more on using her main characters - Alexias, Lysis, Sokrates, Plato, Myron, Kritias and others - to conjure up an image and a feel of what the city of Athens might have been like at the time. It's less a history of the state, and more a snapshot of the culture and philosophy and thoughts of the time, as transmitted and reflected through these characters. It works fabulously well, especially when backed up by Renault's meticulous scholarship. Both the substance and the style of this novel make this one to look out for.
Renault concentrates much more on using her main characters - Alexias, Lysis, Sokrates, Plato, Myron, Kritias and others - to conjure up an image and a feel of what the city of Athens might have been like at the time. It's less a history of the state, and more a snapshot of the culture and philosophy and thoughts of the time, as transmitted and reflected through these characters. It works fabulously well, especially when backed up by Renault's meticulous scholarship. Both the substance and the style of this novel make this one to look out for.
August 17, 2024
From the first sentence this novel has easily become my favourite. I made it a tradition to read it each year. Some may call that obsessive, but I have to say that each time I read it I found something new in it that made me reflect on life in a different way. You can not read a book and expect it to change your life, it will change your life at precisely the moment you need it. "The Last of the Wine" has done that for me over and over again.
First of all it is my desire to impress on potential readers that you don't have to be gay to like the story. From my perspective it has never been a "gay book", even though some would like to force it into this category. To me it is tragic how, though the author fought for human rights in her own time, her book was never meant to be an endorsement of the letter movement of today, quite the contrary in fact. It takes a lot of introspection in reading to understand that the struggle between carnal desire (whichever way) and the Platonic Ideal is one of the main challenges the characters face, that pleasure freely taken does not liberate the spirit and that those who do not understand the difference are bound to be slaves.
On the bare surface, the book is about society, seen from the point of view of a young man who from his first breath did not seem to fit in, being ugly, weak and unappreciated by his kin. A boy, who is humble, modest and compassionate. The story tells us how he is being tossed into the fire and bent to become a decent Hellene: handsome, successful, brave and sometimes even cruel. It leads us to understand how all our good intentions may be cast aside with the change of circumstances, how we as humans may think ourselves better and then do unto others what has been done to us.
Honour is a big theme in the novel, because it was a big issue in those days, the honour of an upright citizen of Athens. It may seem that the meaning is lost on us until we see that its definition has never been too clear: Is honour what we feel in ourselves or what others think of us? Will it be lost if an insult is not avenged? Or is it simply the consequence of what we do or neglect to do?
We follow very well pictured characters, many of them based on historical figures, through their struggles with a complex society, a net of political intrigues, a war that in the end will shatter faith in the democratic idea and human reason, to bring the knowledge that the will of the many can be as unjust as the will of one tyrant.
Young Alexias is the vehicle that lets us travel back in time and through one of the most significant periods in history, connecting the dots and trying to make sense of an almost alien environment, he feels familiar. It is easy to put oneself in his sandals as he learns from his own as from the mistakes of others and finds firm footing in a troublesome world. It feels like growing up with a big brother.
First of all it is my desire to impress on potential readers that you don't have to be gay to like the story. From my perspective it has never been a "gay book", even though some would like to force it into this category. To me it is tragic how, though the author fought for human rights in her own time, her book was never meant to be an endorsement of the letter movement of today, quite the contrary in fact. It takes a lot of introspection in reading to understand that the struggle between carnal desire (whichever way) and the Platonic Ideal is one of the main challenges the characters face, that pleasure freely taken does not liberate the spirit and that those who do not understand the difference are bound to be slaves.
On the bare surface, the book is about society, seen from the point of view of a young man who from his first breath did not seem to fit in, being ugly, weak and unappreciated by his kin. A boy, who is humble, modest and compassionate. The story tells us how he is being tossed into the fire and bent to become a decent Hellene: handsome, successful, brave and sometimes even cruel. It leads us to understand how all our good intentions may be cast aside with the change of circumstances, how we as humans may think ourselves better and then do unto others what has been done to us.
Honour is a big theme in the novel, because it was a big issue in those days, the honour of an upright citizen of Athens. It may seem that the meaning is lost on us until we see that its definition has never been too clear: Is honour what we feel in ourselves or what others think of us? Will it be lost if an insult is not avenged? Or is it simply the consequence of what we do or neglect to do?
We follow very well pictured characters, many of them based on historical figures, through their struggles with a complex society, a net of political intrigues, a war that in the end will shatter faith in the democratic idea and human reason, to bring the knowledge that the will of the many can be as unjust as the will of one tyrant.
Young Alexias is the vehicle that lets us travel back in time and through one of the most significant periods in history, connecting the dots and trying to make sense of an almost alien environment, he feels familiar. It is easy to put oneself in his sandals as he learns from his own as from the mistakes of others and finds firm footing in a troublesome world. It feels like growing up with a big brother.
February 11, 2011
I tried to like this book. I really did. After all, I remember being thoroughly engrossed in author's "Persian Boy" years ago. But I gave up on Wine after 50 pages. the problems for me were:
1. Had to stop and look up too many things: which characters existed in history, what some customs were (like the Herms placed in front of homes), words such as Helots, Demos.
2. Had to read slowly in order to decode sentences. In dialogues between two people, Renault would write the conversation in one paragraph, separating the words of two people speaking by a dash. Also, often felt that she used double negatives instead of making statement in a simple manner. An example is on page 384 in my paperback copy: "it seems not unlikely that Charmides did so , too ... If Plato did save Sokrates, it would not be remarkable to find no mention of it in Xenophon, whose only reference to Plato, throughout his memoir of Sokarates, occurs in passing, during a derogatory judgment on a younger brother."
3. Became impatient with many details that were repetitious and yet often frustrated because something in culture of the time was not clarified.
I did skip to the end and would have liked to discuss attitudes toward Demos (later found they were The People) - especially since I am now watching the protesters in Egypt. No doubt this book will be enjoyed by those with a greater knowledge of Ancient Greece. I have too many other books I want to read to spend any more time with this one.
1. Had to stop and look up too many things: which characters existed in history, what some customs were (like the Herms placed in front of homes), words such as Helots, Demos.
2. Had to read slowly in order to decode sentences. In dialogues between two people, Renault would write the conversation in one paragraph, separating the words of two people speaking by a dash. Also, often felt that she used double negatives instead of making statement in a simple manner. An example is on page 384 in my paperback copy: "it seems not unlikely that Charmides did so , too ... If Plato did save Sokrates, it would not be remarkable to find no mention of it in Xenophon, whose only reference to Plato, throughout his memoir of Sokarates, occurs in passing, during a derogatory judgment on a younger brother."
3. Became impatient with many details that were repetitious and yet often frustrated because something in culture of the time was not clarified.
I did skip to the end and would have liked to discuss attitudes toward Demos (later found they were The People) - especially since I am now watching the protesters in Egypt. No doubt this book will be enjoyed by those with a greater knowledge of Ancient Greece. I have too many other books I want to read to spend any more time with this one.
March 21, 2019
Awwww man, this hit me right in my classic Greek feels. A tender, thoughtful portrait of male/male love and life in ancient Athens during the Peloponnesian war. Amazing that a novel depicting such an openly bisexual lifestyle was published in 1956 but I guess the history label will allow for a lot, even then.
February 27, 2018
Splendid. Full of wisdom and grace. The ending was worth the whole book. I loved Phaedo the most...
December 11, 2019
*a highly recommended read*
Mary Renault seems gifted with metaphor, which she uses to elucidate the most significant moment in a character’s life. Take this passage, for instance, when Alexias’s life has changed forever:
“I felt a sudden rush of the past upon me; for a moment grief pierced me like a winter night; yet it came to me like an old grief, I had suffered it long since and now it was behind me. Everything is changed; and you cannot step twice into the same river.”
This passage sums up the moment, but also foreshadows a future Alexias cannot avoid. Separation, in the most final sense, is upon him.
But this book is not just about a boy coming of age in the time of Sokrates. It is about all manor of ties between boys and men—and lovers and friends, mothers and fathers, siblings and soldiers, are all given a side to the prism of relationships. Renault highlights the potential beauty of ancient Greek pederasty, the loving and committed bond between the erastes and his eromenos. Her story shows how one may grow in this kind of love, and use it as a platform for life, and a way to learn about honor and selfless love.
This is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read. It is not an easy read, in that it challenges the deep thinker to pause at its philosophical wanderings, and join a conversation between the characters. It is a meditation on love wrapped in a Bildungsroman that reaches deep. It is a book to be savored, and read more than once. Renault’s Alexias is alive but also a chiseled god of marble, posed for the reader to gaze upon unendingly. He is honest, and thoughtful, and also emotional. He loves with a full heart, and seems to exemplify for the reader what it is to love with intent for the good.
But this doesn’t mean his experience is without pain. And Lysis, his partner, also suffers at times. The two characters, so realistically drawn (as all Renault’s characters are here in this rich tapestry of atmosphere and days of the ancient past), move through the different kinds of loves.
“We spoke without sound each other’s names.”
There’s no melodrama, no overwrought feelings, and the physical acts of companionship detail a subtle eroticism that does not smother the cuisine with ketchup—Daniel Mendelsohn, who corresponded with Renault over many years, (from “The American Boy” in the New Yorker) writes “Sex rarely appears in Renault’s books … this was partly because of the author’s own idealized exaltation of platonic love, and partly for reasons that she identified as writerly ones.” He quotes her as having written: “If characters have come to life, one should know how they will make love; if not it doesn’t matter. Inch-by-inch physical descriptions are the ketchup of the literary cuisine, only required by the insipid dish or by the diner without a palate.” *It’s worth noting he quoted this in his review for “A Song of Achilles,” which echoes nothing of Renault.
This particular moment thrums with Renault's subtle eroticism (because I can’t resist copying out her words again and again): “I said to my heart, ‘What mighty power hast though been defying?’ Truly love may be likened to the Sphinx of the Egyptians, with the face of a smiling god and lion’s claws. When he had wounded me, all my longing was to leap into his darkness, and be consumed. I called on my own soul, but it bled away from me like salt washed back into the ocean. My soul melted and fled; the wound in my foot, which the water had opened, streamed out scarlet over the wet rock.”
The beauty of falling in love, the patience of taking one’s time to let that love bloom, and the courage to seize that love when it is ripe, all are exemplified in Renault’s offering to the gods of platonic love.
But there’s so much more, too. The story is rife with war and daily life, and family ills and suffering, and political drama and characters who have literary fame of their own (we meet Plato when he’s still Aristokles, the fine wrestler, and Sokrates in his prime, and Alkibiades, a hero likened to Achilles, and Phaedo and Xenophon …). Renault brings them all to life, gives them unique voices and stories, quirks and hang-ups, too. I see the writer as a painter, her brush not only tackling broad stokes, but also minute swishes and swirls to give her canvas a living depth. At one point, Alexias describes the statue of Apollo a particular sculptor, Chremon, has made: “It was the thing to say of [Chremon] that his marble breathed. I could have sworn that if I pinched Apollo’s backside, it would make him jump.” This sums up Renault’s work for me. I swear this world exists somewhere, these characters living, breathing, and loving in a universe made up of ink and stars.
Mary Renault seems gifted with metaphor, which she uses to elucidate the most significant moment in a character’s life. Take this passage, for instance, when Alexias’s life has changed forever:
“I felt a sudden rush of the past upon me; for a moment grief pierced me like a winter night; yet it came to me like an old grief, I had suffered it long since and now it was behind me. Everything is changed; and you cannot step twice into the same river.”
This passage sums up the moment, but also foreshadows a future Alexias cannot avoid. Separation, in the most final sense, is upon him.
But this book is not just about a boy coming of age in the time of Sokrates. It is about all manor of ties between boys and men—and lovers and friends, mothers and fathers, siblings and soldiers, are all given a side to the prism of relationships. Renault highlights the potential beauty of ancient Greek pederasty, the loving and committed bond between the erastes and his eromenos. Her story shows how one may grow in this kind of love, and use it as a platform for life, and a way to learn about honor and selfless love.
This is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read. It is not an easy read, in that it challenges the deep thinker to pause at its philosophical wanderings, and join a conversation between the characters. It is a meditation on love wrapped in a Bildungsroman that reaches deep. It is a book to be savored, and read more than once. Renault’s Alexias is alive but also a chiseled god of marble, posed for the reader to gaze upon unendingly. He is honest, and thoughtful, and also emotional. He loves with a full heart, and seems to exemplify for the reader what it is to love with intent for the good.
But this doesn’t mean his experience is without pain. And Lysis, his partner, also suffers at times. The two characters, so realistically drawn (as all Renault’s characters are here in this rich tapestry of atmosphere and days of the ancient past), move through the different kinds of loves.
“We spoke without sound each other’s names.”
There’s no melodrama, no overwrought feelings, and the physical acts of companionship detail a subtle eroticism that does not smother the cuisine with ketchup—Daniel Mendelsohn, who corresponded with Renault over many years, (from “The American Boy” in the New Yorker) writes “Sex rarely appears in Renault’s books … this was partly because of the author’s own idealized exaltation of platonic love, and partly for reasons that she identified as writerly ones.” He quotes her as having written: “If characters have come to life, one should know how they will make love; if not it doesn’t matter. Inch-by-inch physical descriptions are the ketchup of the literary cuisine, only required by the insipid dish or by the diner without a palate.” *It’s worth noting he quoted this in his review for “A Song of Achilles,” which echoes nothing of Renault.
This particular moment thrums with Renault's subtle eroticism (because I can’t resist copying out her words again and again): “I said to my heart, ‘What mighty power hast though been defying?’ Truly love may be likened to the Sphinx of the Egyptians, with the face of a smiling god and lion’s claws. When he had wounded me, all my longing was to leap into his darkness, and be consumed. I called on my own soul, but it bled away from me like salt washed back into the ocean. My soul melted and fled; the wound in my foot, which the water had opened, streamed out scarlet over the wet rock.”
The beauty of falling in love, the patience of taking one’s time to let that love bloom, and the courage to seize that love when it is ripe, all are exemplified in Renault’s offering to the gods of platonic love.
But there’s so much more, too. The story is rife with war and daily life, and family ills and suffering, and political drama and characters who have literary fame of their own (we meet Plato when he’s still Aristokles, the fine wrestler, and Sokrates in his prime, and Alkibiades, a hero likened to Achilles, and Phaedo and Xenophon …). Renault brings them all to life, gives them unique voices and stories, quirks and hang-ups, too. I see the writer as a painter, her brush not only tackling broad stokes, but also minute swishes and swirls to give her canvas a living depth. At one point, Alexias describes the statue of Apollo a particular sculptor, Chremon, has made: “It was the thing to say of [Chremon] that his marble breathed. I could have sworn that if I pinched Apollo’s backside, it would make him jump.” This sums up Renault’s work for me. I swear this world exists somewhere, these characters living, breathing, and loving in a universe made up of ink and stars.
December 31, 2024
Number #4 in my top 10 readings |2024|
4,5 ⭐
Hay una infinitud de novelas históricas de la Antigua Grecia, y películas y series y artículos y todo eso. Pero Mary Renault es una de las poquísimas autoras que siento que realmente puede transmitir lo que era vivir en esa época.
Siento que todas esas novelas históricas de la Antigua Grecia en general están modernizadas, llevadas a lo Hollywood, hechas para el público actual y con ideas anacrónicas. Mary Renault puede hacerte sentir que estás en el siglo V a.C. de la forma más fluida y hermosa que existe.
Si hay alguien que entiende la cultura griega, es esta mujer.
Te da todo: la cultura filosófica, la religión y los ritos, la perspectiva política y bélica, e incluso cómo se veían los juegos, cómo vivían las familias, cómo interactuaban las personas. Y las partes feas como la esclavitud, la misoginia, y las calamidades de la guerra. Y por la manera de narrarlo, no sólo te das cuenta que la autora sabe muchísimo al respecto, sino que le apasiona profundamente el tema y que era importante en su manera de ver la vida.
Es algo que no me pasa con ningún otro autor histórico. Mary Renault de verdad te transporta al momento, con tanta sutileza y eficacia que yo no puedo creer que esta mujer sea real.
Aunque las escenas con Sócrates no fueron tantas, me gustaron bastante. Debe ser muy difícil escribir a un personaje tan famoso por su elocuencia y extravagancia, y que aun así se sienta como una persona real. Me gustaron los diálogos muy a lo Platón (y los cameos del mismo Platón y otros personajes de la época como Alcibíades o Jenofonte). Renault puede mantener la grandeza de los personajes reconocidos (lo sentí así también cuando leí los libros sobre Alejandro Magno), pero a la vez volverlos más humanos y cercanos, sin perder la precisión histórica que la caracteriza.
Es una novela cuyo único propósito es retratar ese momento histórico, durante las guerras del Peloponeso y el auge de Sócrates y el inicio de la decadencia ateniense. Obviamente se disfruta más si uno ya tiene algunos datos históricos de base. Me encantó lo filosófica que es, porque claro, es una época filosófica y Alexias es discípulo de Sócrates. Creo que habiendo leído este libro entiendo mucho mejor la filosofía platónica.
Mary Renault se está volviendo una de mis autoras preferidas definitivamente. Ahora necesito devorar todo lo que ha escrito esta señora sobre la Antigüedad.
4,5 ⭐
—El día está acabando y, sin embargo, es aún demasiado pronto.
—¿Crees que al final de la vida es lo mismo?
Hay una infinitud de novelas históricas de la Antigua Grecia, y películas y series y artículos y todo eso. Pero Mary Renault es una de las poquísimas autoras que siento que realmente puede transmitir lo que era vivir en esa época.
Siento que todas esas novelas históricas de la Antigua Grecia en general están modernizadas, llevadas a lo Hollywood, hechas para el público actual y con ideas anacrónicas. Mary Renault puede hacerte sentir que estás en el siglo V a.C. de la forma más fluida y hermosa que existe.
Si hay alguien que entiende la cultura griega, es esta mujer.
Te da todo: la cultura filosófica, la religión y los ritos, la perspectiva política y bélica, e incluso cómo se veían los juegos, cómo vivían las familias, cómo interactuaban las personas. Y las partes feas como la esclavitud, la misoginia, y las calamidades de la guerra. Y por la manera de narrarlo, no sólo te das cuenta que la autora sabe muchísimo al respecto, sino que le apasiona profundamente el tema y que era importante en su manera de ver la vida.
Es algo que no me pasa con ningún otro autor histórico. Mary Renault de verdad te transporta al momento, con tanta sutileza y eficacia que yo no puedo creer que esta mujer sea real.
Aunque las escenas con Sócrates no fueron tantas, me gustaron bastante. Debe ser muy difícil escribir a un personaje tan famoso por su elocuencia y extravagancia, y que aun así se sienta como una persona real. Me gustaron los diálogos muy a lo Platón (y los cameos del mismo Platón y otros personajes de la época como Alcibíades o Jenofonte). Renault puede mantener la grandeza de los personajes reconocidos (lo sentí así también cuando leí los libros sobre Alejandro Magno), pero a la vez volverlos más humanos y cercanos, sin perder la precisión histórica que la caracteriza.
Es una novela cuyo único propósito es retratar ese momento histórico, durante las guerras del Peloponeso y el auge de Sócrates y el inicio de la decadencia ateniense. Obviamente se disfruta más si uno ya tiene algunos datos históricos de base. Me encantó lo filosófica que es, porque claro, es una época filosófica y Alexias es discípulo de Sócrates. Creo que habiendo leído este libro entiendo mucho mejor la filosofía platónica.
En el corazón de cada hombre hay un laberinto. Y a cada uno le llega el día de alcanzar el centro, para enfrentarse con el Minotauro.
Mary Renault se está volviendo una de mis autoras preferidas definitivamente. Ahora necesito devorar todo lo que ha escrito esta señora sobre la Antigüedad.
October 25, 2007
This books relates the story of the Peloponesian wars and the decline of Athens from the perspective of a young boy growing into a man. This in itself held my attention, but I found it even more compelling because of the historically relevent same-sex relationship between the protagonist and his best friend and lover. It was an eye-opening experience because it is the first and only book I've read with this type of relationship central to a story. It is never graphic, just tender and thoughtful. All the relationships of the book seek to enlighten us on the necessity of tenderness between humans.
June 22, 2018
excuse me whilst I cry my entire heart and soul out ;-;
4.5, RTC but MY HEART
Mary Renault paints a beautifully informed painting of Athenian society, reflecting the gender hierarchies, sexual relations and political and philosophical learnings of the time
yes it was great still emotionally distraught
4.5, RTC but MY HEART
Mary Renault paints a beautifully informed painting of Athenian society, reflecting the gender hierarchies, sexual relations and political and philosophical learnings of the time
yes it was great still emotionally distraught
November 13, 2021
No ha estado mal.
Pero la verdad no me convence la forma de escribir de la autora me costó acostumbrarme y aún así hay partes que no entendía del todo.
El libro no me enganchó.
Pero la verdad no me convence la forma de escribir de la autora me costó acostumbrarme y aún así hay partes que no entendía del todo.
El libro no me enganchó.
August 19, 2022
I felt a sudden rush of the past upon me; for a moment grief pierced me like a winter night; yet it came to me like an old grief, I had suffered it long since and now it was behind me. Everything is change; and you cannot step twice into the same river.
This is one of those books that made me feel like I'm a richer person for having read it. A bit of a slow read and the style takes some time to get used to it, but I really enjoyed the level of detail and attention paid to the historical and cultural context. These characters feel alien to me, their values and concerns range from "can't relate" to "extremely offputting" and that's exactly what I want from a historical novel about an ancient civilization. I really love how Renault throws the reader straight into a wildly different world with zero sugar coating, not shying away from the gritty details, and yet the characters still feel so deeply human at their core. The descriptions of the Peloponnesian War are great, especially the siege of Athens and life under the ensuring dictatorship, and I really appreciated the level of research and detail that went into it, the way the made-up characters blend flawlessly with well-known historical figures (me, unironically: I love Plato). There's something about the coming-of-age journey of Alexias that's intrinsically universal, even through all the strangeness and value dissonance and occasional brutality, and I really loved the experience of reading it.
This is one of those books that made me feel like I'm a richer person for having read it. A bit of a slow read and the style takes some time to get used to it, but I really enjoyed the level of detail and attention paid to the historical and cultural context. These characters feel alien to me, their values and concerns range from "can't relate" to "extremely offputting" and that's exactly what I want from a historical novel about an ancient civilization. I really love how Renault throws the reader straight into a wildly different world with zero sugar coating, not shying away from the gritty details, and yet the characters still feel so deeply human at their core. The descriptions of the Peloponnesian War are great, especially the siege of Athens and life under the ensuring dictatorship, and I really appreciated the level of research and detail that went into it, the way the made-up characters blend flawlessly with well-known historical figures (me, unironically: I love Plato). There's something about the coming-of-age journey of Alexias that's intrinsically universal, even through all the strangeness and value dissonance and occasional brutality, and I really loved the experience of reading it.
February 7, 2022
Siguran sam da se desi svakom dok stoji u atinskoj Agori. Stojiš na zemlji kojom su hodali Sokrat, Platon, Perikle... Ovaj bildungs-roman postavljen u vreme Peleponeskih ratova stavlja te na isto to mesto, ali 2.500 godina unazad.
Aleksias prepričava svoj život, na jedan prilično tradicionalan način. Rođen za vreme velike atinske kuge, praktički zna samo za rat i završava priču otprilike u vreme svrgavanja 30 tiranina, nakon Peleponeskih ratova. Aleksias se druži sa Sokratom i Platonom, Alkibijadom i Ksenofonom, druži se sa ljudima čija imena zvuče kao sabrana Platonova dela (zato što se ti likovi i pojavljuju u tim dijalozima).
Renoova izvrstno koristi istorijski materijal, ali nije ovo prepričan Tukidid. Predstavlja život u Atini na uverljiv način - tu smo dok Atinjani prinose žrtve bogovima, s njima smo deo direktne demokratije na Pniksu, kad treba osuditi admirale koji nisu spasili atinske mornare, stavljeni smo u hoplitske i pomorske bitke... Pratimo naša dva ljubavnika (homoseksualna ljubav je možda ipak malo više svakodnevna kod Renoove nego kod Platona) na takmičenje u trčanju i rvanju na Istmijskim igrama, s njima oslobađamo Samos od oligarha... Rečenice koje izgovaraju Sokrat i Platon su rečenice koje jesu prepisane iz Platonovih dijaloga, ali - zar treba drugačije?
Nije ovo literatura zbog koje ćeš da zineš - ali jeste najuverljivija moderna fikcija o drevnim Grcima koju sam dosad čitao.
Aleksias prepričava svoj život, na jedan prilično tradicionalan način. Rođen za vreme velike atinske kuge, praktički zna samo za rat i završava priču otprilike u vreme svrgavanja 30 tiranina, nakon Peleponeskih ratova. Aleksias se druži sa Sokratom i Platonom, Alkibijadom i Ksenofonom, druži se sa ljudima čija imena zvuče kao sabrana Platonova dela (zato što se ti likovi i pojavljuju u tim dijalozima).
Renoova izvrstno koristi istorijski materijal, ali nije ovo prepričan Tukidid. Predstavlja život u Atini na uverljiv način - tu smo dok Atinjani prinose žrtve bogovima, s njima smo deo direktne demokratije na Pniksu, kad treba osuditi admirale koji nisu spasili atinske mornare, stavljeni smo u hoplitske i pomorske bitke... Pratimo naša dva ljubavnika (homoseksualna ljubav je možda ipak malo više svakodnevna kod Renoove nego kod Platona) na takmičenje u trčanju i rvanju na Istmijskim igrama, s njima oslobađamo Samos od oligarha... Rečenice koje izgovaraju Sokrat i Platon su rečenice koje jesu prepisane iz Platonovih dijaloga, ali - zar treba drugačije?
Nije ovo literatura zbog koje ćeš da zineš - ali jeste najuverljivija moderna fikcija o drevnim Grcima koju sam dosad čitao.
Read
August 22, 2020You never learn how much your courage owes to the wish for a good name among men, to the eyes of lover and friends upon you till you are alone among enemies.
This is an extraordinary work of literary fiction, and if I could trust anyone with the knowledge and insight of Ancient Greece, it would be Mary Renault. It’s no surprise this book has an infinite amount of praise for the painfully accurate and disciplined reflection of this era - but wrapped within prose that is enchanting and filled with humility. And incredible props to the author for publishing a story between two men during a time that was generally not well accepted.
However, this story is more of a portrayal of politics, war and philosophy during Ancient Greece than it is a story about lovers. I think for those who don’t have somewhat of a deep understanding or passion of Ancient Greek history already, they wouldn’t enjoy it as much as they would want to.
Unfortunately, I’m in that lot. There’s a lot of terminology, background information and overall contextual knowledge that is useful, and at times, arguably needed in order to fully appreciate this book.
That’s why I’m not rating it - I don’t think I’m qualified to rate it, I guess. Overall, I think if you love Ancient Greek history and want to know more or read more - this is your book. Otherwise, I would be cautious before picking it up (even though I have over 50 tabs in this book because the writing is beautiful!! - it’s just the story didn’t captivate me as much as I wanted it to). Maybe because I’m a true romance buff at heart!
This is an extraordinary work of literary fiction, and if I could trust anyone with the knowledge and insight of Ancient Greece, it would be Mary Renault. It’s no surprise this book has an infinite amount of praise for the painfully accurate and disciplined reflection of this era - but wrapped within prose that is enchanting and filled with humility. And incredible props to the author for publishing a story between two men during a time that was generally not well accepted.
However, this story is more of a portrayal of politics, war and philosophy during Ancient Greece than it is a story about lovers. I think for those who don’t have somewhat of a deep understanding or passion of Ancient Greek history already, they wouldn’t enjoy it as much as they would want to.
Unfortunately, I’m in that lot. There’s a lot of terminology, background information and overall contextual knowledge that is useful, and at times, arguably needed in order to fully appreciate this book.
That’s why I’m not rating it - I don’t think I’m qualified to rate it, I guess. Overall, I think if you love Ancient Greek history and want to know more or read more - this is your book. Otherwise, I would be cautious before picking it up (even though I have over 50 tabs in this book because the writing is beautiful!! - it’s just the story didn’t captivate me as much as I wanted it to). Maybe because I’m a true romance buff at heart!
August 31, 2017
I had somewhat high expectations of this book regarding some reviews, but I found them partially disappointed.
While the book is certainly well researched regarding culture and history, I was looking forward to the relationship of both main characters, Alexias and Lysis, the most; but found it only came third in it's amount and importance, after politics and war.
I did not expect much romance, since it is an invention of the 18th/19th century, but considering what big part male (sexual) relationships played in ancient Greece, the book is almost too subtle. Though their relationship lasts for the length of the book, it is only mentioned periodically, often overshadowed by the events of war and politics. While this might be quite realistic historically, I would have wished more focus on it for a novel.
I felt that Alexias, as a first person narrator, left too many of his feelings unsaid. There are a few paragraphs of poetic talk, but, for my taste at least, not enough to create a fleshed-out relationship to relate to.
It might be due to the time of her day (the book was written in the 1950's) that there was absolutely no mention of anything physical between Alexis and Lysis except for a kiss, and having read about homosexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome before, I found this very unrealistic.
What makes a book for me are the characters, their feelings and thoughts and interactions, and in this regard I felt the book was a bit of a letdown.
While the book is certainly well researched regarding culture and history, I was looking forward to the relationship of both main characters, Alexias and Lysis, the most; but found it only came third in it's amount and importance, after politics and war.
I did not expect much romance, since it is an invention of the 18th/19th century, but considering what big part male (sexual) relationships played in ancient Greece, the book is almost too subtle. Though their relationship lasts for the length of the book, it is only mentioned periodically, often overshadowed by the events of war and politics. While this might be quite realistic historically, I would have wished more focus on it for a novel.
I felt that Alexias, as a first person narrator, left too many of his feelings unsaid. There are a few paragraphs of poetic talk, but, for my taste at least, not enough to create a fleshed-out relationship to relate to.
It might be due to the time of her day (the book was written in the 1950's) that there was absolutely no mention of anything physical between Alexis and Lysis except for a kiss, and having read about homosexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome before, I found this very unrealistic.
What makes a book for me are the characters, their feelings and thoughts and interactions, and in this regard I felt the book was a bit of a letdown.
September 27, 2019
rep: mlm couple
3.5 ☆
(5 ☆ for the first half or so & less and less with every chapter)
first of all! im Very Grateful that the relationship btwn alexias & lysis was described in such a delicate & soft way, not sexualised unnecessarily bc it was already difficult enough for me, as a modern reader, to keep in mind that relationships with an age difference were apparently natural back then
i was enchanted with the book from the very beginning mostly bc of the writing. it's so btfl! true, at times hard to follow & very convoluted & making u slow down but it's all worth it and gives the story a nice, ancient feeling
but on the other hand, i was hoping that the main focus of the book would be alexias himself & his relationship with lysis. not the war and the politics as it turned out to be somewhere in the middle. plus the older the characters got, the more gross customs of ancient greece we were introduced to & at some point it was just rly hard to stomach.
3.5 ☆
(5 ☆ for the first half or so & less and less with every chapter)
first of all! im Very Grateful that the relationship btwn alexias & lysis was described in such a delicate & soft way, not sexualised unnecessarily bc it was already difficult enough for me, as a modern reader, to keep in mind that relationships with an age difference were apparently natural back then
i was enchanted with the book from the very beginning mostly bc of the writing. it's so btfl! true, at times hard to follow & very convoluted & making u slow down but it's all worth it and gives the story a nice, ancient feeling
but on the other hand, i was hoping that the main focus of the book would be alexias himself & his relationship with lysis. not the war and the politics as it turned out to be somewhere in the middle. plus the older the characters got, the more gross customs of ancient greece we were introduced to & at some point it was just rly hard to stomach.
October 8, 2024
ouch :)
(layered and nuanced and beautiful and timeless)
(would have died for a POV chapter for Lysis just to see what was actually going through his mind)
(this book contains one of the most erotic sex scenes I've ever read, but it's entirely via a metaphor)
(layered and nuanced and beautiful and timeless)
(would have died for a POV chapter for Lysis just to see what was actually going through his mind)
(this book contains one of the most erotic sex scenes I've ever read, but it's entirely via a metaphor)
March 12, 2013
The best evocation of the ancient world I've ever read--or at least a small part of the ancient world for a particular 25 years. The story is told by Alexias, who grows from a small boy in Athens to a very mature and experienced man of about 30, who at the close of the book is about to see his well-loved Socrates put to death. As far as I can tell, Renault gets everything right, every prejudice, every detail of geography, every detail of history. She has reconstructed Athenian life, reflecting one way or another almost every aspect from the role of women, to the attitudes towards slaves and metics, to the treatment of children by their parents. She even convincingly rehearses the life of philosophical inquiry and the attitude of the young Plato towards his mentor Socrates. Almost the whole book lies in the last half of the Peloponnesian War, and the battles and skirmishes are convincing. She depicts (or suggests--the book was written in 1956) homosexual love that never brings in anachronistic modern associations with being gay. My only quibbles with the book would be first that it lacks a real plot--it simply traces the events of a life, with only brief episodes in which one action brings about another. This lack of forward momentum makes it very easy to put down and not pick back up. Her writing is also sometimes awkward. Example: "If I had myself to choose someone who should find me out in a lie, Plato would come very low upon my list." It was the "myself" that threw me and left me confused for several seconds. And choosing someone is different from making a list. But as I say, only quibbles over what is an amazing book.
September 20, 2020
An amazing book.
All throughout school, from middle school all the way to college, history was never a favorite subject of mine, in fact, I did not like it at all. Although I did always enjoy when we got to the parts of the Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilizations, but was bored by everything else. Either way, that was a very long time ago, and I did not remember much, so this read included lots of trips to Wikipedia to get more context and this made the reading experience richer.
I was prepared to rate this book only four stars, because at first I did not enjoy her writing style, but as I got more into the story and got to see more characters I either got used to her style or was too interested in the story to notice it. For me, the first and last thirds of the book were the strongest, I felt it slowed down a bit in the middle and for a few chapters I lost interest in what was happening, but when it picked up again, I couldn’t put it down and I read the last eight chapters on the same day.
This is the first book I have read by Mary Renault and it certainly will not be the last. The way she describes the setting, you can basically see the streets of Athens and the palestra, even someone like me who didn't have a lot of background.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys ancient Greece. I don’t remember ever having learned so much about a time period from reading fiction. This was an amazing read.
All throughout school, from middle school all the way to college, history was never a favorite subject of mine, in fact, I did not like it at all. Although I did always enjoy when we got to the parts of the Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilizations, but was bored by everything else. Either way, that was a very long time ago, and I did not remember much, so this read included lots of trips to Wikipedia to get more context and this made the reading experience richer.
I was prepared to rate this book only four stars, because at first I did not enjoy her writing style, but as I got more into the story and got to see more characters I either got used to her style or was too interested in the story to notice it. For me, the first and last thirds of the book were the strongest, I felt it slowed down a bit in the middle and for a few chapters I lost interest in what was happening, but when it picked up again, I couldn’t put it down and I read the last eight chapters on the same day.
This is the first book I have read by Mary Renault and it certainly will not be the last. The way she describes the setting, you can basically see the streets of Athens and the palestra, even someone like me who didn't have a lot of background.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys ancient Greece. I don’t remember ever having learned so much about a time period from reading fiction. This was an amazing read.
June 9, 2016
Renault takes Thucydides' magisterial account of the Peloponnesian War, the deadly conflict between Athens and Sparta in the second half of the 5th century BCE, and shows us what it meant to the ordinary people growing up and coming of age in the middle of the war that lasted over 30 years and broke the power of classical Athens.
Her 'heroes' are young men who study under Socrates, fight against the Spartans and witness the struggles of Alcibiades and Lysander.
If you've read Thucydides, this is a wonderful fictional complement, and if you haven't then if this doesn't make you want to, nothing will!
Steeped in the cruelty, violence and beauty of ancient Greece, this is a beautifully written and subtle novel that really whisks us back 2,500 years so that we can (fictionally) experience the texture of life then for ourselves.
Her 'heroes' are young men who study under Socrates, fight against the Spartans and witness the struggles of Alcibiades and Lysander.
If you've read Thucydides, this is a wonderful fictional complement, and if you haven't then if this doesn't make you want to, nothing will!
Steeped in the cruelty, violence and beauty of ancient Greece, this is a beautifully written and subtle novel that really whisks us back 2,500 years so that we can (fictionally) experience the texture of life then for ourselves.
September 5, 2016
-Más exitosa en describir los usos de un tiempo y lugar que como novela propiamente dicha.-
Género. Novela histórica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Cuando el brillo de Atenas comienza a desvanecerse y su enfrentamiento con Esparta es cada vez más duro, nace Alexias (llamado así por el recientemente fallecido hermano de su padre), un joven que va creciendo y descubriendo las costumbres de su sociedad mientras madura.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Novela histórica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Cuando el brillo de Atenas comienza a desvanecerse y su enfrentamiento con Esparta es cada vez más duro, nace Alexias (llamado así por el recientemente fallecido hermano de su padre), un joven que va creciendo y descubriendo las costumbres de su sociedad mientras madura.
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October 19, 2020
A difficult to read but instructive of heart and mores word photo placed in ancient Greek. This book surely stands the test of time. Very sad.
3.5 stars but for me- density around voids not spoken nixes the round up.
Others have said it better in review. Total man story of excellent character definitive of friendship, love, civic loyalty, and soul commitment.
3.5 stars but for me- density around voids not spoken nixes the round up.
Others have said it better in review. Total man story of excellent character definitive of friendship, love, civic loyalty, and soul commitment.
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