Comments on: Fire from Heaven, Mary Renault https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/ before I read the middle Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:43:43 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 By: lizcruse https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13539 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:43:43 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13539 I just posted about Mary Renault, inter alia, on my own blog (http://lizcruse.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/boudicca/) and I can’t agree more with the comments above. Jenny – from memory I thought The Charioteer was First World War but be that as it may, though it’s years since I read it, it made a profound impression on me.

]]> By: Jenny https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13538 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:29:13 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13538 It’s totally true. The Persian Boy is wondrous. And although I cannot find anyone who agrees with me on this, The Charioteer, which is set in the present day (hers, I mean, which was World War II), is absolutely wonderful and maybe as good as The Persian Boy. I just love the way she writes.

]]> By: SHE https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13537 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:08:28 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13537 Shatzi, if you liked the Last of the Winer, you will LOVE the Alexander books. Her style, insight, and skill definitely made strides… The Persian Boy is (in my opinion) the best book she ever wrote. The details about Socrates were pretty cool, though, huh?

]]> By: Schatzi https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13536 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:19:35 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13536 I haven’t read the Alexander trilogy, but I enjoyed the Theseus duology–and The Last of the Wine is possibly the finest Classical Greek historical novel of all time.

]]> By: Jeane https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13535 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:29:19 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13535 Yes! I recall that scene now, it made me laugh

]]> By: Jenny https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13534 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:49:52 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13534 In reply to Nymeth.

You can probably skip the third one, Funeral Games. It takes place after Alexander dies, and I didn’t like it at all. The first two are wonderful though – I’ve heard Mary Renault accused of over-elaborate prose, but I really like her writing.

]]> By: Jenny https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13533 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:46:54 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13533 In reply to Jeane.

When I was much younger, I started reading it (but didn’t finish), and I remember the protagonist was playing whatshisface, Hector’s son that gets killed, and started crying because the actor playing Hecuba (or Andromeda maybe?) was giving such a moving performance. And the actor hissed, “Shut up, you little bastard, you’re supposed to be dead.” I don’t know why I’ve put off reading it so long.

]]> By: Jeane https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13532 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:15:53 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13532 I read the Mask of Apollo a long time ago. I don’t remember much in particular, but it was pretty interesting. Especially all the historical details about theater.

]]> By: Nymeth https://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13531 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:46:56 +0000 http://readingtheend.com/2009/07/19/fire-from-heaven-mary-renault/#comment-13531 My library actually has this whole trilogy, and I’ve been vaguely meaning to read it for ages. Now “vaguely” has become “definitely”.

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