Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Pantheon (1958), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 338 pages
Description
New York Times Bestseller: This retelling of the Greek myth of Theseus, king of Athens, is "one of the truly fine historical novels of modern times" (The New York Times). In myth, Theseus was the slayer of the child-devouring Minotaur in Crete. What the founder-hero might have been in real life is another question, brilliantly explored in The King Must Die. Drawing on modern scholarship and archaeological findings at Knossos, Mary Renault's Theseus is an utterly lifelike figure--a king of immense charisma, whose boundless strivings flow from strength and weakness--but also one steered by implacable prophecy. The story follows Theseus's adventures from Troizen to Eleusis, where the death in the book's title is to take place, and from Athens to Crete, where he learns to jump bulls and is named king of the victims. Richly imbued with the spirit of its time, this is a page-turner as well as a daring act of imagination. Renault's story of Theseus continues with the sequel The Bull from the Sea. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary Renault including rare images of the author.… (more)
Media reviews
Renault comes up with many ingenious and plausible solutions to the riddles posed by trying to place the legends into a historical context.
You’ll find excitement and beauty, philosophy and action, danger and fulfillment — all the very best qualities of a myth retold.
A novel to be read with pleasure and great excitement.
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This book was assigned to me in high school, and after that I quickly read every historical novel by Renault I could get a hold of. It's certainly one of the books responsible for making me interested in both history and historical fiction.
Along with Robert Graves, Mary Renault is my gold standard
This particular novel also made an impression on me because, like Mary Stuart's Crystal Cave about Merlin, it took a mythical figure I assumed was pure fantasy, and wrote a plausible tale grounding Theseus in the Late Bronze Age world and making him a real and appealing fleshed-out figure telling his own story in an engaging voice.
I highly recommend both this book and the sequel, The Bull From the Sea. And her novels of Alexander the Great starting with Fire from Heaven. And the picture of Socrates and Athens during Peloponnesian War in The Last of the Wine. Just all of her historical novels are excellent, gripping reads.
Along with Robert Graves, Mary Renault is my gold standard
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in historical fiction--but especially Renault. I think because more than any other author, she gave me the sense that the people in other times, though complex and human, aren't simply moderns in strange dress. Renault's books were the first I can remember finding a sympathetic view of homosexuality. This isn't to the fore in this particular book focusing on the mythic figure of Theseus (probably why it was considered tame enough to be assigned to me in my Catholic High School), but I remember in my teens her depiction of a place and era that put no negative evaluation on homosexuality in novels such as The Last of the Wine and Fire from Heaven was a revelation to me, that yes, the past is a different country. This particular novel also made an impression on me because, like Mary Stuart's Crystal Cave about Merlin, it took a mythical figure I assumed was pure fantasy, and wrote a plausible tale grounding Theseus in the Late Bronze Age world and making him a real and appealing fleshed-out figure telling his own story in an engaging voice.
I highly recommend both this book and the sequel, The Bull From the Sea. And her novels of Alexander the Great starting with Fire from Heaven. And the picture of Socrates and Athens during Peloponnesian War in The Last of the Wine. Just all of her historical novels are excellent, gripping reads.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
A retelling of the story of Theseus from his boyhood through to his escape from captivity as a bull dancer in Crete.
Mary Renault has taken pains here to retell a myth as if it actually happened. She retains all of the famous elements of the minotaur story--the labyrinth, the bull, Ariadne's
The beginning of the story drags somewhat, as Theseus grows up wondering who his father is and eventually sets out on a journey fraught with danger to Athens to reunite with his father, Aigeus. The writing also feels very formal and stilted. The story really picks up once Theseus and his compatriots are sent to Crete to learn to be bull dancers. This is an exciting segment, fraught with danger, palace intrigue and suspense, culminating in a terrific battle and escape scene. Renault does a particularly good job of blending the trappings of the myth with a realistic story line that refreshes and reinvents the familiar story.
A recurring theme throughout is that of the sacrificial king and whether the ancient tradition of symbolically killing a king after one year of rule to ensure a good harvest should be discontinued. Theseus becomes one of these kings, and obviously feels that it should. Theseus is an aggressively male character, who revels in his sexual prowess and other masculine characteristics, and the gender politics of this retelling are pretty troubling, which is why I can't give this book higher marks. Theseus believes that not only should the old traditions be stopped, but that power should be taken away from all women, and the three major women he encounters--the Queen of Eleusis, Medea and Ariadne--really have no redeeming qualities to counteract this view. The first two are power-mad, violent and devious. And Ariadne is clueless, naive, weak-willed and corruptible. Renault must be true to the story, so she has Theseus abandon his great love Ariadne by sneaking off in the middle of the night, but her explanation as to why he must do this is completely unsatisfactory. After she participates in the ritual of Dionysus, in which the king is sacrificed, he sees something in her hand while she is sleeping that so disgusts him, it destroys his love for her. What it is he sees, we can guess--but Renault doesn't tell us, which makes it frustrating. And this reader can't help wondering how Ariadne felt, waking up alone without a word of explanation the next morning, finding her betrothed gone.
I enjoyed the story, but I didn't like Theseus much, and I really didn't like how women's power was presented. I am trying to read more books written by women, but The King Must Die shows that women writers are not immune to issues of gender bias.
Read in 2015 for the SFFCat.
Mary Renault has taken pains here to retell a myth as if it actually happened. She retains all of the famous elements of the minotaur story--the labyrinth, the bull, Ariadne's
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thread--but reworks them so that they have plausible, realistic explanations. While there is nothing overtly supernatural or fantastic in this version of the story, the gods are highly influential; Theseus believes that the gods, and Poseidon in particular, literally guide every choice he makes. It is left up to the reader to decide whether the divine are truly present, or whether, for instance, Theseus is unusually adept at predicting earthquakes.The beginning of the story drags somewhat, as Theseus grows up wondering who his father is and eventually sets out on a journey fraught with danger to Athens to reunite with his father, Aigeus. The writing also feels very formal and stilted. The story really picks up once Theseus and his compatriots are sent to Crete to learn to be bull dancers. This is an exciting segment, fraught with danger, palace intrigue and suspense, culminating in a terrific battle and escape scene. Renault does a particularly good job of blending the trappings of the myth with a realistic story line that refreshes and reinvents the familiar story.
A recurring theme throughout is that of the sacrificial king and whether the ancient tradition of symbolically killing a king after one year of rule to ensure a good harvest should be discontinued. Theseus becomes one of these kings, and obviously feels that it should. Theseus is an aggressively male character, who revels in his sexual prowess and other masculine characteristics, and the gender politics of this retelling are pretty troubling, which is why I can't give this book higher marks. Theseus believes that not only should the old traditions be stopped, but that power should be taken away from all women, and the three major women he encounters--the Queen of Eleusis, Medea and Ariadne--really have no redeeming qualities to counteract this view. The first two are power-mad, violent and devious. And Ariadne is clueless, naive, weak-willed and corruptible. Renault must be true to the story, so she has Theseus abandon his great love Ariadne by sneaking off in the middle of the night, but her explanation as to why he must do this is completely unsatisfactory. After she participates in the ritual of Dionysus, in which the king is sacrificed, he sees something in her hand while she is sleeping that so disgusts him, it destroys his love for her. What it is he sees, we can guess--but Renault doesn't tell us, which makes it frustrating. And this reader can't help wondering how Ariadne felt, waking up alone without a word of explanation the next morning, finding her betrothed gone.
I enjoyed the story, but I didn't like Theseus much, and I really didn't like how women's power was presented. I am trying to read more books written by women, but The King Must Die shows that women writers are not immune to issues of gender bias.
Read in 2015 for the SFFCat.
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LibraryThing member JulieStielstra
I've loved Greek (and Roman) myths since I was a kid. I remember fighting with a third-grade classmate over which of us got to check out D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths first when the school library bought it (I got to it; my friend went on to become a professor of classics... I should have let him
Which, for the most part, she does quite wonderfully. The writing is graceful, with a vivid feel for the country, the palaces, the mountains, and its people. It may feel a bit decorated, a bit mannered, which may date it for some tastes. I especially liked how she translated the "magical" episodes of monsters and miracles, gods and curses, into a believable, "natural" reality - Minos becomes an isolated king, disfigured from leprosy, who hides away deep in his palace, wearing a golden mask of a bull to cover his diseased countenance. The tales feel genuine, and a modern reader might easily say, yes, this could very well be how it happened.
The trouble is... Theseus. Theseus is a jerk. He is arrogant, condescending, egotistical, promiscuous, and is forever banging on about his sacred "pride." He kills without compunction, he ridicules other cultures not as macho as his. He believes in his heart he is the god Poseidon's chosen son, so whatever he does is fine because the god supposedly has approved of it. He is also smart, talented, strategic, clever, and brave. But when it comes to women.... Now, I *know* that this is fiction. I *know* that Renault's intent may have been to try to depict Theseus and his time as they were, complete with prejudices, and an appalling contempt for women everywhere he goes. Women are toys, or war booty (the "girls" are divided up along with the gold, the arms, the war horses, etc. to the victors). They are dismissed as entirely silly, selfish, cruel, superficial, cunning, helpless or just a nuisance... or childish, pretty, and f*ckable. The entire city of Eleusis is overjoyed to be "released" by Theseus from a horrible era where the government is run by women. Powerful women are either goddesses (and even then they are fickle, jealous, vengeful, and not to be trusted) or an abomination. So... I puzzle over Renault's intent. How does a woman writer - a gay woman writer - decide to depict women so dreadfully? Of course, we are being given Theseus's own thoughts and point of view throughout, but it's not clear whether this is meant to be an admiring portrait, a truthful portrayal of how women in that society were viewed and treated, or a cautionary tale. All told, I found Theseus to be very annoying company for many pages.
Well, all that said, there are some intimations of growth in the callow young hero. He gets a little smarter about persuasion and leadership. He actually learns to admire and value the skills that the young sacrificial "girls" bring to the bull arena. There are some moments when Theseus comments that now that he is old, with a string of tragedies behind him, he might not have done or said such a thing, or behaved in such a way. So perhaps, in volume 2, our hero's hubris receives its due, and he learns the hard way to be a better man. I'll stick around to find out.
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have it first. Sorry, Paul.). I am not a scholar or a historian, but remember many of the tales well. Daniel Mendelsohn recently wrote a touching essay about what Mary Renault's novels meant to him when he was a teenager, smitten by the classics amidst personal angst. He wrote to her, she wrote back, and they sustained an affectionate epistolary relationship till her death. So I was eager to plunge in for myself, and see what Renault did to bring the ancient Greek world, its customs, beliefs, arts, and, in this case, the hero Theseus to life.Which, for the most part, she does quite wonderfully. The writing is graceful, with a vivid feel for the country, the palaces, the mountains, and its people. It may feel a bit decorated, a bit mannered, which may date it for some tastes. I especially liked how she translated the "magical" episodes of monsters and miracles, gods and curses, into a believable, "natural" reality - Minos becomes an isolated king, disfigured from leprosy, who hides away deep in his palace, wearing a golden mask of a bull to cover his diseased countenance. The tales feel genuine, and a modern reader might easily say, yes, this could very well be how it happened.
The trouble is... Theseus. Theseus is a jerk. He is arrogant, condescending, egotistical, promiscuous, and is forever banging on about his sacred "pride." He kills without compunction, he ridicules other cultures not as macho as his. He believes in his heart he is the god Poseidon's chosen son, so whatever he does is fine because the god supposedly has approved of it. He is also smart, talented, strategic, clever, and brave. But when it comes to women.... Now, I *know* that this is fiction. I *know* that Renault's intent may have been to try to depict Theseus and his time as they were, complete with prejudices, and an appalling contempt for women everywhere he goes. Women are toys, or war booty (the "girls" are divided up along with the gold, the arms, the war horses, etc. to the victors). They are dismissed as entirely silly, selfish, cruel, superficial, cunning, helpless or just a nuisance... or childish, pretty, and f*ckable. The entire city of Eleusis is overjoyed to be "released" by Theseus from a horrible era where the government is run by women. Powerful women are either goddesses (and even then they are fickle, jealous, vengeful, and not to be trusted) or an abomination. So... I puzzle over Renault's intent. How does a woman writer - a gay woman writer - decide to depict women so dreadfully? Of course, we are being given Theseus's own thoughts and point of view throughout, but it's not clear whether this is meant to be an admiring portrait, a truthful portrayal of how women in that society were viewed and treated, or a cautionary tale. All told, I found Theseus to be very annoying company for many pages.
Well, all that said, there are some intimations of growth in the callow young hero. He gets a little smarter about persuasion and leadership. He actually learns to admire and value the skills that the young sacrificial "girls" bring to the bull arena. There are some moments when Theseus comments that now that he is old, with a string of tragedies behind him, he might not have done or said such a thing, or behaved in such a way. So perhaps, in volume 2, our hero's hubris receives its due, and he learns the hard way to be a better man. I'll stick around to find out.
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LibraryThing member kukulaj
A retelling of the tale of Theseus - killing the Minotaur, Ariadne's thread, etc. Renault is a great storyteller! This book just flowed - I couldn't put it down! It's a real swashbuckler, sword fights and beautiful damsels, but it didn't get ridiculous. Anybody's guess whether Renault's version is
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getting close to whatever historical foundation the story might have. It made for a good book, anyway! Show Less
LibraryThing member MerryMary
Another example of Renault's masterful handling of the ancient world. Theseus first finds his father - a task fraught with danger - and then finds himself trained as a bull-leaper and sacrifice to the Minotaur. Renault uses archeological evidence that the bull-dance really existed to show us the
I know I wasn't be the first to notice this, but I was struck by the similarities between Theseus searching for his father and finding he is royal and young Arthur and young Luke Skywalker. I have read a lot in the last few years about mythological themes. But I stumbled on this one myself before I read about it. Made me proud!!
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possible roots of the myth. She makes Theseus a real person, albeit one with a supernatural connection to Poseidon.I know I wasn't be the first to notice this, but I was struck by the similarities between Theseus searching for his father and finding he is royal and young Arthur and young Luke Skywalker. I have read a lot in the last few years about mythological themes. But I stumbled on this one myself before I read about it. Made me proud!!
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LibraryThing member saturnloft
My opinion of this book was highly unfavorable until the main character ended up as a bull dancer on the isle of Crete. That was when the author really hit her stride. Or perhaps I just became interested enough to overlook the overly-affected dialogue and constant emphasis on Theseus's maleness.
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There are plenty of female writers out there who can write convincing male characters without having them metaphorically cupping their junk on every other page. (I'm sorry, but that's the impression I got from the first part of the book.) The move to the action of the Bull Court shifts the emphasis from "My main character got them man-parts" to "Holy Zeus! How's he going to get out of this!" Thank the gods for that, because this book went directly from an F grade to a solid B and I decided I'd be willing to try other books by Renault. After all, she seems capable of some truly stellar moments of poetic description. Worth a look for those who enjoy re-imagined mythology, lush depictions of ancient Greece, and lots of machismo. Show Less
LibraryThing member JGolomb
“The voices sank and rose, sank and rose higher. It was like the north wind when it blows screaming through mountain gorges; like the keening of a thousand widows in a burning town; like the cry of she-wolves to the moon. And under it, over it, through our blood and skulls and entrails, the
- from Mary Renault’s “The King Must Die"
Mary Renault weaves a tale so mythic in scope, that the story itself is only outshone by her fabulous prose. Beyond a vague awareness of the Minotaur, I was not familiar with the ancient Greek tales of Theseus. Renault takes the myth and works her narrative like Hephaestus works metal; into a believable and credible story.
The novel is flush with gods and goddesses, though not in a true physical sense nor are they metaphysically present, but they persist within the psyche of the Greek people (note: there was no ‘Greece’ in this period, but for the sake of saving space, I’ll generalize). Theseus believes fully in their existence and his fate that's tied to their whims.
Is he human? Is he a god? Or did he spawn from something in between? He certainly believes in the supernatural, and that he has an exceptional relationship with Poseidon. He is driven by fate and faith. His entire existence is colored by the mythical hands from above (and below) that guide his life’s path.
He is crushed when Ariadne, the daughter of Crete’s King Minos, shockingly relates the planning involved prior to her reading of oracles, “We have ninety clerks working in the Palace alone. It would be a chase every month, if no one knew what the oracles were going to be.” Ariadne’s pragmatic revelation that creates a crack in Theseus’ fate…one, though, that he’s able to keep from spreading.
The mythic themes provide the outline for Renault’s story. Medea, the mistress of Theseus’ (human) father, spits this curse, which touches on the well-know elements of the Theseus myth: “You will cross water to dance in blood. You will be King of the victims. You will tread the maze through fire, and you will tread it through darkness. Three bulls are waiting for you, son of Aigeus. The Earth Bull, and the Man Bull and the Bull from the Sea.”
Within this context, the ‘historical’ aspect to this ‘historical' fiction is very realistic and true to its age and time. The historical misogyny is appropriate in the world and age of Theseus and is often chivalric in it’s own way. The battlefield amongst male and female gods is a significant theme and Theseus travels between societies who sometimes favor the gods and others who favor the goddesses.
Theseus remembering an exchange with his Grandfather when he was still a boy, explaining a violent animal sacrifice to a young boy grappling with it’s meaning. “I had no word to say to him. The seed is still, when first it falls into the furrow.” Like Theseus’ Grandfather, Renault prose plants seeds which grow over time to expose their full meaning and understanding.
I highly recommend this book.
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bellow of a the gong.”- from Mary Renault’s “The King Must Die"
Mary Renault weaves a tale so mythic in scope, that the story itself is only outshone by her fabulous prose. Beyond a vague awareness of the Minotaur, I was not familiar with the ancient Greek tales of Theseus. Renault takes the myth and works her narrative like Hephaestus works metal; into a believable and credible story.
The novel is flush with gods and goddesses, though not in a true physical sense nor are they metaphysically present, but they persist within the psyche of the Greek people (note: there was no ‘Greece’ in this period, but for the sake of saving space, I’ll generalize). Theseus believes fully in their existence and his fate that's tied to their whims.
Is he human? Is he a god? Or did he spawn from something in between? He certainly believes in the supernatural, and that he has an exceptional relationship with Poseidon. He is driven by fate and faith. His entire existence is colored by the mythical hands from above (and below) that guide his life’s path.
He is crushed when Ariadne, the daughter of Crete’s King Minos, shockingly relates the planning involved prior to her reading of oracles, “We have ninety clerks working in the Palace alone. It would be a chase every month, if no one knew what the oracles were going to be.” Ariadne’s pragmatic revelation that creates a crack in Theseus’ fate…one, though, that he’s able to keep from spreading.
The mythic themes provide the outline for Renault’s story. Medea, the mistress of Theseus’ (human) father, spits this curse, which touches on the well-know elements of the Theseus myth: “You will cross water to dance in blood. You will be King of the victims. You will tread the maze through fire, and you will tread it through darkness. Three bulls are waiting for you, son of Aigeus. The Earth Bull, and the Man Bull and the Bull from the Sea.”
Within this context, the ‘historical’ aspect to this ‘historical' fiction is very realistic and true to its age and time. The historical misogyny is appropriate in the world and age of Theseus and is often chivalric in it’s own way. The battlefield amongst male and female gods is a significant theme and Theseus travels between societies who sometimes favor the gods and others who favor the goddesses.
Theseus remembering an exchange with his Grandfather when he was still a boy, explaining a violent animal sacrifice to a young boy grappling with it’s meaning. “I had no word to say to him. The seed is still, when first it falls into the furrow.” Like Theseus’ Grandfather, Renault prose plants seeds which grow over time to expose their full meaning and understanding.
I highly recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member CarltonC
A wonderful blend of myth and historical fiction, all told by Theseus as he progresses from childhood in Troizen, until he learns that his father is King of Athens. He starts for Athens by chariot, but is stopped in Eleusis, where he becomes the King who must Die. But this is not his fate (moira),
And so he comes to Minoan Crete, the Labyrinth and the Minotaur. A story splendidly reimagined.
I read Renault’s highly enjoyable Alexander novels about 35 years ago and I don’t know what has taken me so long to pick up this book. The language is slightly dated (published in 1958), but for me this captures the archaism when writing about the Bronze Age. [For example, She had that vein of wildness which stirs a man because it lies deep, like Hephaistos’ fire which only the earthquake loosens from the mountain.
Brilliant.
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and so he goes on to Athens where, having made himself known to the King, he gives himself the Cretan tribute takers, to honour Poseidon.And so he comes to Minoan Crete, the Labyrinth and the Minotaur. A story splendidly reimagined.
I read Renault’s highly enjoyable Alexander novels about 35 years ago and I don’t know what has taken me so long to pick up this book. The language is slightly dated (published in 1958), but for me this captures the archaism when writing about the Bronze Age. [For example, She had that vein of wildness which stirs a man because it lies deep, like Hephaistos’ fire which only the earthquake loosens from the mountain.
Brilliant.
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LibraryThing member janerawoof
Brilliant retelling of the story of Theseus! I started this novel more as a duty than as enjoyment, but was soon plunged into the world of ancient Greece. I can see why this novel has survived all these years and why Renault is a classic. However I have to ask myself, were this novel published for
In Troizen, Theseus finds out he is heir to the king of Athens, by his strength in lifting a sword [similar motif as King Arthur!] He travels there through Eleusis. The inhabitants are worshippers of a Mother Goddess, and a matrilineal society. When is Athens, he is recognized by King Aegius and cursed by the priestess Medea, who tries to poison him.
Her chilling words:
"You will cross water to dance in blood. You will be King of the victims. You will tread the maze through fire, and you will tread it through darkness. Three bulls are waiting for you, son of Aigeus: The Earth Bull, the Man Bull, and the Bull from the Sea."
Her prophecy begins to be fulfilled when he becomes part of tribute to Crete; he travels there with a band of young people from Athens and Eleusis. He becomes a bull-dancer and leader of the little group. the "Cranes". While there, the Earth Bull is aroused resulting in a severe earthquake. After he kills the Minotaur, he and many other bull-dancers escape Crete to Naxos. Ariadne is left there--not abandoned cruelly as the original myth has it, but the culture there is close to the Cretan. The young people journey homeward, dropping off bull-dancers at their homes on the way.
The book was much better than I thought it would be. It has not aged, in my opinion. I liked the author's taking elements from the myth, such as the Minotaur, the Labyrinth and Theseus's leaving Ariadne on Naxos and using them in her story in new, logical, completely unexpected ways. Her language was nothing short of marvelous. To me, there was a perfect balance of description and dialogue. I plan to read the sequel, The Bull from the Sea.
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the first time today, would it be as popular as it was when first published? In Troizen, Theseus finds out he is heir to the king of Athens, by his strength in lifting a sword [similar motif as King Arthur!] He travels there through Eleusis. The inhabitants are worshippers of a Mother Goddess, and a matrilineal society. When is Athens, he is recognized by King Aegius and cursed by the priestess Medea, who tries to poison him.
Her chilling words:
"You will cross water to dance in blood. You will be King of the victims. You will tread the maze through fire, and you will tread it through darkness. Three bulls are waiting for you, son of Aigeus: The Earth Bull, the Man Bull, and the Bull from the Sea."
Her prophecy begins to be fulfilled when he becomes part of tribute to Crete; he travels there with a band of young people from Athens and Eleusis. He becomes a bull-dancer and leader of the little group. the "Cranes". While there, the Earth Bull is aroused resulting in a severe earthquake. After he kills the Minotaur, he and many other bull-dancers escape Crete to Naxos. Ariadne is left there--not abandoned cruelly as the original myth has it, but the culture there is close to the Cretan. The young people journey homeward, dropping off bull-dancers at their homes on the way.
The book was much better than I thought it would be. It has not aged, in my opinion. I liked the author's taking elements from the myth, such as the Minotaur, the Labyrinth and Theseus's leaving Ariadne on Naxos and using them in her story in new, logical, completely unexpected ways. Her language was nothing short of marvelous. To me, there was a perfect balance of description and dialogue. I plan to read the sequel, The Bull from the Sea.
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LibraryThing member comixminx
Always a delight to read Mary Renault's books, and this is one of my favourites. Theseus is such a strong and compelling character, as done by Renault; and his world likewise.
LibraryThing member surreality
Plot: The balance is a bit off, with the events in the first half of the book getting too much space and the second half falling short as a result. Overall the plot is streamlined once the story hits the mid-point; before that it has a tendency to meander.
Characters: It's about Theseus and nobody
Style: The prose is enjoyable at times, and too much at others. It's not the easiest style to read, and requires some attention. The mythology base for the story is mostly kept intact; where it deviates, it's hit-and-miss whether the change works.
Plus: Renault always did her homework on historical accuracies, and this story is no exception.
Minus: Theseus without a minotaur is just not proper Theseus. Occasional boring stretches.
Summary: A good book overall, but Renault has done better.
Characters: It's about Theseus and nobody
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else. He takes center stage and simply leaves no room for other characters to gain much depth, let alone develop. It results in a very well-sketched central character, in stark contrast to a cast of flat supporting figures. Some minor characters get development, but oddly enough they're not the ones of any importance, or who appear on more than five cumulative pages.Style: The prose is enjoyable at times, and too much at others. It's not the easiest style to read, and requires some attention. The mythology base for the story is mostly kept intact; where it deviates, it's hit-and-miss whether the change works.
Plus: Renault always did her homework on historical accuracies, and this story is no exception.
Minus: Theseus without a minotaur is just not proper Theseus. Occasional boring stretches.
Summary: A good book overall, but Renault has done better.
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LibraryThing member devafagan
Audiobook... My fist time reading anything by Renault!
I did enjoy this, though I found sections of it deeply problematic (specifically, the political structures of the different cultures and Theseus's reactions to those in which women held power). But I really enjoyed the vividly detailed look at
I did enjoy this, though I found sections of it deeply problematic (specifically, the political structures of the different cultures and Theseus's reactions to those in which women held power). But I really enjoyed the vividly detailed look at
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these ancient cultures, and the way in which the traditional legend was turned into a believable real-world story. Show Less
LibraryThing member krasiviye.slova
Much like Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, The King Must Die presents a myth of the origin of patriarchal rule in government and religion. Theseus, from whose perspective the story is told, becomes the consort of the queen of a matriarchal tribe and then promptly devises a means to
Initially, the apparently anti-feminist elements of the text bothered me, but it would be a mistake to see this novel as a blithe replication of misogynistic structures. The first-person narrative of Theseus shouldn't be construed as authoritative. Further, his changing interactions with female characters throughout the novel undermines a simplistic sense of Theseus as the grand patriarch. While on Crete he learns to interact with female characters as equals and allies. Although this doesn't move the novel into "feminist" territory, it does create a satisfying complexity which many blatantly feminist novels, such as The Mists of Avalon lack.
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wrest power from the queen/priestess and be king in his own right. The theme of the god triumphing over the goddess continues through the events of Crete. Initially, the apparently anti-feminist elements of the text bothered me, but it would be a mistake to see this novel as a blithe replication of misogynistic structures. The first-person narrative of Theseus shouldn't be construed as authoritative. Further, his changing interactions with female characters throughout the novel undermines a simplistic sense of Theseus as the grand patriarch. While on Crete he learns to interact with female characters as equals and allies. Although this doesn't move the novel into "feminist" territory, it does create a satisfying complexity which many blatantly feminist novels, such as The Mists of Avalon lack.
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LibraryThing member rbtwinky
This book is not at all what I was expecting. I have read a decent but small amount of historical fiction: the likes of Greggory and Whyte. I was expecting a fun romp in ancient Greece that made the Theseus myth come to life. What I got was a telling of how the Theseus could have been a real
In the beginning, when all of this mysticism was new and exciting, I couldn't put the book down. However, as Theseus got closer and closer to Crete the book slowed and eventually completely lost my interest. I think I would have been much better off reading the notes and myth at the end of the book first so that I knew what to expect.
Renault's disdain for the mother-worshiping cultures that came before the "Hellene" religion was frustrating. I understand that Theseus and the Greeks themselves would have had this same attitude, but I still struggled with such disrespect. It was not just Theseus's tone, but also the atrocities that he encountered that communicated Renault's vision of those primitive cultures.
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person, with the help of the Greek Pantheon. I think that is what bothered me most: that Renault seemed to be forcing the Theseus myth into the mundane except for his interactions with the gods, predominantly Poseidon. It felt to me like Renault was either self-limiting for no good reason or breaking the rules. Afterall, if Poseidon existed and communicated to Theseus as described, couldn't there be a half-man half-bull?In the beginning, when all of this mysticism was new and exciting, I couldn't put the book down. However, as Theseus got closer and closer to Crete the book slowed and eventually completely lost my interest. I think I would have been much better off reading the notes and myth at the end of the book first so that I knew what to expect.
Renault's disdain for the mother-worshiping cultures that came before the "Hellene" religion was frustrating. I understand that Theseus and the Greeks themselves would have had this same attitude, but I still struggled with such disrespect. It was not just Theseus's tone, but also the atrocities that he encountered that communicated Renault's vision of those primitive cultures.
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LibraryThing member kaulsu
Renault is superb at bringing history to life. Or in this case, bringing mythology to life. Especially Theseus. I read this in preparation for visiting Crete and the ruins of the Palace of Knossos.
LibraryThing member t1bnotown
This was a summer reading book for Western Civ. in ninth grade, and wasn't a bad one. It's a retelling of the minotaur myth, and I got pretty into it (especially compared to The Children's Homer, which I'd read two years prior). Overall, the main character was interesting, and the story was well
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told. Show Less
LibraryThing member notemily
One of the few books I read for school that wasn't a chore to read.
LibraryThing member PollyMoore3
Still a marvellous retelling of the ancient story of Theseus.
LibraryThing member JaneAnneShaw
Fiction: Favourite of the Renaults ~ just a squeak ahead of 'The Last of the Wine' & 'The Bull from the Sea'. I'm not so keen on the Alexander trilogy.
LibraryThing member JMC400m
I had been interested in reading something by Mary Renault, an interesting woman, who from what I have read, was ahead of her time. Mary apparently had been inspired by stories of ancient Greece and traveled as a young woman throughout the region, conducting extensive research on ancient history.
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This book was apparently inspired by a replica of a fresco that she saw in Crete which depicted bull-leapers. The story tells the tale of Theseus in a rich and magical way, exploring ancient rites and traditions, of which I knew little before reading the book. Renault gives the characters a touch of real personalities in order to explain the story, but the main characters come across as somewhat impulsive. Renault's prose is old fashioned and the story tends to get a bit slow in some place. As an example of historical fiction, however, I found this book an enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member danconsiglio
Mary Renault excels in putting the reader in the head of alien peoples. Her characters follow a beautiful internal logic, and her ancient Greece feels familiar even though it is far removed from our contemporary world. I finished this sucker in under a week, and I wish that bull dancing was an
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Olympic sport. Show Less
LibraryThing member wishanem
The story of the legendary Greek hero Theseus, told in exciting action-heavy prose, with a surprising eye to historical plausibility.
The myth of Theseus is particularly interesting from a historical perspective, because it was long thought that the Minoans of Crete were mostly mythological.
This book, written in the 1950's, takes all of the details of the myth and imagines them through the lens of the available historical facts. There are very few anachronisms in this book. The ways that the people behave align perfectly with the world they are presented within. Theseus behaves like an ancient Greek, speaking and making decisions with the tone and priorities of a hero from the Iliad, but with the warmth and realism of a solid contemporary depiction. Theseus is bold, principled, honorable, and foolish. He is proud of himself and shamelessly absurdly horny, but with a layer of vulnerability and realistic self-awareness that comes across as charming. Theseus loves deeply and his perspective is usually generous, though some aspects of his character distance him from the modern reader: most notably his casual familiarity with death and killing.
The myth of Theseus is particularly interesting from a historical perspective, because it was long thought that the Minoans of Crete were mostly mythological.
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Historical sources that tell the story of Theseus set the events in the ancient past. It wasn't until the 1920's that archaeologists dug up the palace at Knossos and documented the seat of Minoan civilization in detail.This book, written in the 1950's, takes all of the details of the myth and imagines them through the lens of the available historical facts. There are very few anachronisms in this book. The ways that the people behave align perfectly with the world they are presented within. Theseus behaves like an ancient Greek, speaking and making decisions with the tone and priorities of a hero from the Iliad, but with the warmth and realism of a solid contemporary depiction. Theseus is bold, principled, honorable, and foolish. He is proud of himself and shamelessly absurdly horny, but with a layer of vulnerability and realistic self-awareness that comes across as charming. Theseus loves deeply and his perspective is usually generous, though some aspects of his character distance him from the modern reader: most notably his casual familiarity with death and killing.
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LibraryThing member anderlawlor
I remember reading the Mary Renault books as a kid and being very excited by the gay bits, and I was recently reminded of this by a middle-schooler of my acquaintance, who enthusiastically recommended Renault to me. So we'll see. So far so good. Something I didn't recall: Theseus is short!
LibraryThing member gribeaux
The Theseus myth told as a credible story. Mary Renault has the gift of making her characters very 'sympathetic', so you get to understand why many of them act in the way that they do.
LibraryThing member jmoncton
Great retelling of the classic myth about how Theseus defeats the Minotaur on the island of Crete. I really enjoyed how the author weaves this story, but maybe it is because I really like fantasy, I was disappointed in how she rationalized some of the magical elements of the story. Instead of the
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minotaur being a half-man/half-bull creature that came from an illicit affair between the Queen of Crete and a white bull, Renault replaces the beast with a prince who is completely human, just large and hairy. But it is a great book if you want to familiarize yourself with some of the customs of Ancient Greece. Show Less
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1958
Physical description
338 p.; 8.3 inches
Local notes
OCLC = 2622