The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
Mary Renault Book Discussion
Kerry:
--- Quote from: injest on December 30, 2006, 11:31:59 pm ---now see I don't think it was that big a drought for old Hephaistion...at least in The Persian Boy Bagoas commented that he was often left in camp while they went off on campaign...
and we all know how you men are when you get out in the woods in a tent!!
--- End quote ---
Cute observation! Funny but also very poignant. :)
Kerry:
“The Charioteer” is a novel by Mary Renault. Here’s the blurb from the dust jacket of the Harcourt Brace & Co. edition:
Few events in his early years had prepared Laurie Odell for the day in the veterans’ hospital when he first met Andrew Raynes. Laurie, who was recovering from wounds sustained at Dunkirk, had seen a bit of life, but the moment he met Andrew was unique for him - it was a moment that provided clarity and logic for the many things that he vaguely knew about himself but had never fully understood. With Andrew everything became right - love entered Laurie’s life and with it, finally, a sense of self. But with this discovery began Laurie’s difficult journey between two communities - that of the soldier and that of the gay man - and the delicate task of navigating the precarious waters that flow between them. In “The Charioteer,” Ms Renault has created a stunning work of historical fiction that is as fresh as today’s headlines. This is a novel that thoroughly succeeds in illuminating the world around us.
It’s a beautiful story; well worth a read.
Enjoy.
Kerry ;D
injest:
I don't think we have the Charioteer?? Something to look forward to. I went spelunking in my son's room and located "The Last of the Wine" "Fire From Heaven" and "The Nature of Alexander" now we are still missing the Theseus series...
Do you remember the Corinthian bull dancer from 'The King Must Die'? I always wished he had had his own story...he was fascinating to me...
Jeff Wrangler:
Good heavens! How did I miss this thread? :D
It's been years since I last reread any of Mary Renault's books, but they occupy an honored place on my bookshelf--and I'm constantly on the lookout to replace much-worn paperbacks with hardback editions.
Fire from Heaven is lovely, but if I could only take one of her books with me to a desert island, it would probably be The King Must Die. I was very taken with the idea of imagining what might plausibly have been the history that gave rise to the myths.
injest:
well you didn't really miss it...we started off in another thread I started this weekend "Favorite Lines from books and movies" and we were having such a great time talking about her books I spilt the topic this morning!
so welcome aboard...
she DID take so many little stories out of history and wrote them so well, you feel that YES that right there HAD to have been how it happened...
in 'The Praise Singer" she told the story of Harmodios and Aristigieton...and made my heart break for them..
I love how she worked her way from antiquity up thru Alexanders life and each book has it's own flavor..just SUCH a talented author...
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