Mary Renault Book Discussion

[David In Indy]

David!!! What are you doing up at this time of night?! It's only 7pm here in Sydney, but I figure it must be very late in Indianapolis!  

Grab yourself a copy of "The Last of the Wine" and join our Mary Renault Book Club.  

Do that tomorrow! Go to bed first! 

haha!

I'm a nightowl Kerry!

I'm going to bed right now.

Yeah, it's 3:00 am in Indianapolis, so I'm going to bed! 

Have a really super terrific day Kerry and I'll talk with ya tomorrow, my friend!

David.

[Zander]

One thing about all her books is that they "feel" real, like she's personally experienced these things, her Bagoas character was tremendous and she really can get you hot for the guys described!  The only thing that irks me is that most of the characters portray this concept of "greek love" where the sexual attractions are broadened to include both male and female. She doesn't really write about any truly gay male / female only characters - or is my memory slipping 

[injest]

most of her characters DO have relationships with women, but the primary love affairs are between males. Remember that this was more the norm in ancient times, women were for children, men were for companionship and love. Women were considered to be so inferior as to not be able to meet a man's mind...

[injest]

Hmmm.... I guess I will go back and read this thread from the very beginning. I saw a post from Jess and Kerry and I started checking out this thread on the 7th page. It's as if I'm listening to half of a telephone conversation.

Serves me right for evesdropping, huh?? 

I have some reading ahead of me tomorrow, I guess. 

LOOK at all these eaves lying around....David musta dropped 'em!

LOL!

Welcome to our little club, David...now get to reading!

[injest]

I must stop rabbiting-on about history and concentrate on what's in the book. I admire your focus and insight. I'm enjoying having  a female perspective. I have only ever read MR solitarily through the eyes of a man; albeit a sensitive, romantically inclined, gay man; but a man, nonetheless. I'd not appreciated this until now. In the past, I suspect I was concentrating on the grunt, the biffo and the sex! 

I was aware of the romance, but I guess I was preoccupied with the harshness of the times. The blood and guts! Even in the highly charged romantic scene with Alexander in the great bed with Bagoas in "The Persian Boy," I'm most drawn to the way MR describes the smell of "sex and cedarwood" in the room! Grunt! 

You calm down!! Take a deep breath!!
 

I love the way you are looking through the wide eyes of the infant Alexias, watching his "beautiful" (sigh!) father march off to war, resplendent in his polished and beplumed armour. I've still got a crush on this cocky, arrogant, peacock of a man. However, as I'm not reading ahead and only taking one chapter at a time, I suspect I may come to regret any misplaced admiration I have for him. Am I right? Go on, you can tell me 

Nooooo dooooon't! I'm enjoying it too much, to have the plot given away ahead of time! (comment aside to self - "I bet daddy dearest ends up being a real bastard, just like John Twist!")

Let's discuss the Rhodian?

Your turn!!! 

Alexias daddy is something else isn't he? You are not reading ahead? What self discipline! 

oh the Rhodian....

witch! I tell you it definitely makes me question daddy's judgement. She terrorized not only Alexias but the whole household. She doesn't even sound like she was pretty but you know Alexias is not going to admit it even if she was.

a cruel desperate woman.

[injest]

cont.

you know that at this time in history for her to be hiring herself out as a nurse meant that she was low income and probably had little family. She must have thought she had fell in the honeypot...living in this fine house (sleeping with this hubba hubba man) and when it started falling apart, she held on with all her claws...taking her frustration out on Alexias...

how she must have dreamed that her circumstances had changed. My bet is that she was so desperate to hang on she pushed Alexias's father away....you men don't seem to care too much for 'desperate'...

[Kerry]

LOOK at all these eaves lying around....David musta dropped 'em!

LOL!

Welcome to our little club, David...now get to reading!

Hee-hee!  I've just been reading David's blog and laughed out loud at the repartee between you two   

It's nearly midnight so I'm off to bed. I've got some comments to make about the Rhodian tomorrow! 

Nighty-night!   

[injest]

now why do I have the impression your comments are NOT going to be positive??

 

[Kerry]

One thing about all her books is that they "feel" real, like she's personally experienced these things, her Bagoas character was tremendous and she really can get you hot for the guys described!  The only thing that irks me is that most of the characters portray this concept of "greek love" where the sexual attractions are broadened to include both male and female. She doesn't really write about any truly gay male / female only characters - or is my memory slipping 

Hey Zander!

Welcome! Good to see you here. Grab a copy of "The Last of the Wine" and join our Mary Renault Book Club. We're only up to chapter 2, so you haven't missed a lot.

(Aside to Jess - Gad, we're only up to chapter 2 and have already filled eight pages!!!) 

Kerry   

[injest]

Hey Zander!

Welcome! Good to see you here. Grab a copy of "The Last of the Wine" and join our Mary Renault Book Club. We're only up to chapter 2, so you haven't missed a lot.

(Aside to Jess - Gad, we're only up to chapter 2 and have already filled eight pages!!!) 
Kerry   

I KNOW!! I was thinking "Lort we are gonna be six months on this one book! But I am sure having fun with it!

(You tell me if/when you want to speed up...like I said I am having fun!)