Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
New York : Pantheon, 1969.
Description
Alexander's beauty, strength, and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fueled his aspirations. Killing his first man in battle at the age of twelve, he became regent at sixteen and commander of Macedon's cavalry at eighteen, so that by the time his father was murdered, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
My introduction to Mary Renault was The King Must Die, the first of two novels about Theseus--it was actually assigned reading in high school. What impressed me so much there was how she took a figure out of myth and grounded him historically. After that I quickly gobbled up all of Renault's works
The first book of that trilogy Fire from Heaven, is about the young Alexander of Macedon before his famous conquests, ending with his inheriting the Kingdom of Macedon. I was fascinated by the portrait drawn of him and his family--and his teacher--Aristotle. It also draws vivid portraits of his "Companions" who helped him conquer much of the civilized world surrounding the Mediterranean and divide it between them after his death. Hephaistion is his particular close friend and lover. That was probably a shock to me as a sheltered young teen, pre-AIDS when homosexuality just wasn't very visible. What was amazing was the picture of a society where this was not just tolerated but completely accepted, and this novel (and her novel The Last of the Wine also featuring a homosexual relationship) made an indelible impression on me--more than any kind of lecture on tolerance. The second book, The Persian Boy, is Alexander seen through the eyes of another of his lovers, Bagoas, covers the period of this conquest, and is every bit as remarkable. I thought Funeral Games a bit of a disappointment after those first two, but it missed a lot with Alexander's absence, dealing with the aftermath of his death.
And this was one of those books that cemented my love of historical fiction and fascination with Ancient Greece. If I have any criticism, it's that Renault's Alexander is too much the paragon. You get the feeling Renault was more than in love with her Alexander. But it's certainly not a criticism that occurred to me while I was reading this--given how fully I was under Renault's spell. Nor am I the only one entranced by these books--you can definitely see the influence of the Alexander trilogy on such books as Jo Graham's Stealing Fire about the wake of Alexander's death and Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles.
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of historical fiction set in Ancient Greece. The two novels about Theseus and the trilogy centered on Alexander the Great are undoubtedly her most famous of those eight novels.The first book of that trilogy Fire from Heaven, is about the young Alexander of Macedon before his famous conquests, ending with his inheriting the Kingdom of Macedon. I was fascinated by the portrait drawn of him and his family--and his teacher--Aristotle. It also draws vivid portraits of his "Companions" who helped him conquer much of the civilized world surrounding the Mediterranean and divide it between them after his death. Hephaistion is his particular close friend and lover. That was probably a shock to me as a sheltered young teen, pre-AIDS when homosexuality just wasn't very visible. What was amazing was the picture of a society where this was not just tolerated but completely accepted, and this novel (and her novel The Last of the Wine also featuring a homosexual relationship) made an indelible impression on me--more than any kind of lecture on tolerance. The second book, The Persian Boy, is Alexander seen through the eyes of another of his lovers, Bagoas, covers the period of this conquest, and is every bit as remarkable. I thought Funeral Games a bit of a disappointment after those first two, but it missed a lot with Alexander's absence, dealing with the aftermath of his death.
And this was one of those books that cemented my love of historical fiction and fascination with Ancient Greece. If I have any criticism, it's that Renault's Alexander is too much the paragon. You get the feeling Renault was more than in love with her Alexander. But it's certainly not a criticism that occurred to me while I was reading this--given how fully I was under Renault's spell. Nor am I the only one entranced by these books--you can definitely see the influence of the Alexander trilogy on such books as Jo Graham's Stealing Fire about the wake of Alexander's death and Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles.
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LibraryThing member maryh10000
Mary Renault's books will always be my view of Alexander the Great.
LibraryThing member thesmellofbooks
An astonishing book, in its beauty, intensity, and brilliance. Renault is vast in her capabilities. She has not only written a fully believable and entrancing story about equally believable humans, she has a huge understanding of the times in which it took place. She has a sensitivity toward her
I know I am going overboard with the gosh wow here but this book blows me away as few ever have. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would happily do it. Thank heaven there is the occasional book that is this good.
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characters that is courageous and which keeps the story aloft through all its tenderness, brutality and sorrow. I know I am going overboard with the gosh wow here but this book blows me away as few ever have. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would happily do it. Thank heaven there is the occasional book that is this good.
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LibraryThing member jdgarner68
Like all of Mary Renault's books that I have read, this one will put you in a trance. Renault's thorough knowledge of Ancient Greece turns her historical account of Alexander the Great into an intimate experience with the ancient Macedonians. Much of the story directly concerns warfare, since war
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is what Alexander spent his entire life, heart, and soul on. I am impressed that Renault had such an understanding of ancient warfare: tactics, gear, etc. This book, as many of her others on Greece, is a much more effective medium for learning about the history. The reason being is that she keeps her dates, names, and events as factual as an academic history book, but she introduces the material in a way that sticks with you long after the book is done. Show Less
LibraryThing member gribeaux
She is an unashamed Alexander apologist, however the stories are beautifully written. The historical novel at its best.
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
The story of Alexander the Great opens with Alexander as a young child waking to find a snake in bed with him. He assumes it is his mother's pet snake, Glaukos. From there we are, guided by Renault's excellent storytelling, witness to Alexander's rise to greatness with fiction interwoven with
Renault skillfully shows Alexander growing up, becoming more and more of a leader. Played against each other are his parents, the ever jealous Olympia and King Philip. Alexander learns how to manipulate them equally. Hephaistion starts his relationship with Alexander as a schoolmate and, as both boys mature, becomes a devoted friend with a level of intimacy that borders on homosexuality. Renault does not shy away from such relationships as they were commonplace.
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nonfiction. For example, Renault wasn't there for Alexander's first battle and there is little documentation of it. So, the battle and subsequent kill at the age of twelve is purely fictional but Renault makes it easy to picture it as fact even if it is a little incredulous. With no ornament or artifact to take from the body as a trophy, Alexander saws off the head of his enemy.Renault skillfully shows Alexander growing up, becoming more and more of a leader. Played against each other are his parents, the ever jealous Olympia and King Philip. Alexander learns how to manipulate them equally. Hephaistion starts his relationship with Alexander as a schoolmate and, as both boys mature, becomes a devoted friend with a level of intimacy that borders on homosexuality. Renault does not shy away from such relationships as they were commonplace.
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LibraryThing member saturnloft
Ahem...
So this book starts with Alexander as a young boy, in bed, playing with his pet snake. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.) Then his snake slithers away. He trundles off on his little toddler feet to search for it and wanders into his mother's room. (He really loves his mother. This is VERY
Two words: SIGMUND FREUD.
On a billboard, approximately 900 feet tall, on a mountaintop, glowing with the brilliance of a thousand suns. Avert your eyes, lest you be blinded!
You know, if I'd quit after that first chapter (something I seriously considered), I wouldn't have known that the rest of the book is not nearly so heavy-handed. It's actually very adroitly-written, beautifully-researched, and fascinating. The masterful descriptions of places and people showcase Renault at the very top of her game. I really loved the interactions between Alexander and his lover/ best friend, Hephaestion, and the story of how Alexander tamed Bucephalus. It's a good novel, once you get past that first chapter.
So this book starts with Alexander as a young boy, in bed, playing with his pet snake. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.) Then his snake slithers away. He trundles off on his little toddler feet to search for it and wanders into his mother's room. (He really loves his mother. This is VERY
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important!) And then he sees his father naked.Two words: SIGMUND FREUD.
On a billboard, approximately 900 feet tall, on a mountaintop, glowing with the brilliance of a thousand suns. Avert your eyes, lest you be blinded!
You know, if I'd quit after that first chapter (something I seriously considered), I wouldn't have known that the rest of the book is not nearly so heavy-handed. It's actually very adroitly-written, beautifully-researched, and fascinating. The masterful descriptions of places and people showcase Renault at the very top of her game. I really loved the interactions between Alexander and his lover/ best friend, Hephaestion, and the story of how Alexander tamed Bucephalus. It's a good novel, once you get past that first chapter.
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LibraryThing member dbsovereign
First of Renault's books about Alexander the Great. Alexander appears as someone a bit too mythical and other-worldly perhaps, but once the love interest spurts onto the scene, she is at her best. Good battle scenes.
LibraryThing member MerrittGibsonLibrary
This is the story of Alexander's life from his childhood through to the age of twenty, when he succeeded his murdered father, King Philip of Macedon.
LibraryThing member mahallett
long and not that interesting.
LibraryThing member stef7sa
This novel requires full knowledge of Greek history and mythology to appreciate. Not for me.
LibraryThing member kslade
Good historical novel on Alexander the Great of Macedon. My first research paper in high school was about him.
LibraryThing member robfwalter
I found the writing in the book too awkward and ugly for me to finish it. The dialogue is awful, and although the action is fairly well described, I couldn't follow what was happening because I couldn't keep track of the characters. Also, I suspect that maybe nothing happened in the fifty or so
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pages I read. It's a shame, because this is in the gay canon, but I just didn't enjoy it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Helen.Callaghan
This was amazing - where's Mary Renault been all my life?!
It's a beautifully imagined retelling of the youth of Alexander the Great, and the ancient world it describes is gorgeously alien and yet psychologically authentic.
Apparently there are another two books of this, so know what I'll be reading
It's a beautifully imagined retelling of the youth of Alexander the Great, and the ancient world it describes is gorgeously alien and yet psychologically authentic.
Apparently there are another two books of this, so know what I'll be reading
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in the run-up to Christmas. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Lost Man Booker Prize (Shortlist — shortlist)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1969
Local notes
DKR