Mary Renault Books

In her inventive novels set in ancient Greece, Mary Renault crafts a compelling narrative from the myth of Theseus, creating a flawed hero and a plausible account of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur. The story follows young Theseus from his mysterious birth and insecurities about his size to his growing strength and belief in his destiny. As a teenager, he embarks on a journey to meet his father, the King of Athens, but faces unexpected challenges, including a forced stay in the matriarchal society of Eleusis and his participation in a tribute of Athenian youths sent to be sacrificed to a bull-worshipping cult in Crete. Trapped in King Minos's labyrinthine palace, Theseus teams up with high priestess Ariadne to devise a daring escape plan for the Athenians. The sequel begins with Theseus's return to Athens, where he discovers his father's death and his new role as king. However, his confidence in his destiny is tested by future encounters, including a life-altering meeting with Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, the birth of a son who seeks his own path, and the tragic consequences of his wife Phaedra's betrayal. Renault combines her deep understanding of ancient Greek culture with imaginative speculation, bringing legendary heroes and monsters to life.

Tells the story of the climactic last seven years of Alexander the Great's life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. The relationship between the beautiful young eunuch and the great general's sustains Alexander as he survives assassination plots, the demands of two foreign wives, a mutinous army, and his own ferocious temper.

The acclaimed biography of Alexander the Great.

“Written with her usual vigor and imagination...Mary Renault has a great talent.”– The New York Times Book Review 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.

First published in 1953, The Charioteer is a tender, intelligent coming-of-age novel and a bold, unapologetic portrayal of homosexuality that stands with Gore Vidal's The City and the Pillar and James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room as a landmark work in gay literature.

As Funeral Games opens, Alexander the Great lies dying. Around his body gather the generals, the provincial satraps and the royal wives, already competing for the prizes of power and land. Only Bagoas, the Persian boy mourning in the shadows, wants nothing. Tracing the events of the fifteen years following Alexander's death, Funeral Games sees his mighty empire disintegrate, and brings Mary Renault's Alexander trilogy to a dramatic close.

In The Last of the Wine , two young Athenians, Alexias and Lysis, compete in the palaestra, journey to the Olympic games, fight in the wars against Sparta, and study under Socrates. As their relationship develops, Renault expertly conveys Greek culture, showing the impact of this supreme philosopher whose influence spans epochs.

Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-three, leaving behind an empire that stretched from Greece and Egypt to India and a new cosmopolitan model for western civilisation. In Alexander's childhood, his defiant character was molded 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, on whom he depended for he rest of his life, taught him trust, whilst Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations. He killed his first man in battle at the age of twelve and became the commander of Macedon's cavalry at eighteen - by the time his father was murdered and he acceded to the throne, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.

"The Bull from the Sea" is the story of Theseus, King of Athens, but also Mary Renault's brilliant historical reconstruction of ancient Greek politics. Throughout his reign, Theseus is torn between his genius for kingship and his truant craving for adventure. As Theseus for a dynastic marriage with Phaedra, Pirithoos, the pirate prince, lures him off to explore the unknown Euxine, where he meets and captures the young warrior priestess Hippolyta. She is the love of his life, and that love is the crux of his fate. The bull of Marathon, the battle of the Lapiths and Kentaurs, and the moon-goddess cult of Pontos are merely a portion of the legendary material that Renault weaves into the fabric of great historical fiction. Whether or not these myths have their far-distant origin in actual events, the author's imagination and scholarship have invested them with immediate amd magical reality.

Set in fourth-century B.C. Greece, THE MASK OF APOLLO is narrated by Nikeratos, a tragic actor who takes with him on all his travels a gold mask of Apollo, a relic of the theatre's golden age, which is now past. At first his mascot, the mask gradually becomes his conscience, and he refers to it his gravest decisions, when he finds himself at the centre of a political crisis in which the philosopher Plato is also involved. Much of the action is set in Syracuse, where Plato's friend Dion is trying to persuade the young tyrant Dionysios the Younger to accept the rule of law. Through Nikeratos' eyes, the reader watches as the clash between the two unleashes all the pent-up violence in the city.

In her latest novel set in ancient Greece, Mary Renault explores the life of the bard Simonides, who flourished during the sixth century amid tyrants, the Persian wars, and a vibrant artistic era. Drawing from limited historical sources, Renault masterfully reconstructs the rich world of ancient art. The story begins on Keos, where young Simonides receives a sign from Apollo, leading him to his mentor, Kleobis the bard. He journeys to Samos, immersing himself in the island's colorful culture during his apprenticeship. Following Kleobis's death, Simonides moves to Athens, where he finds patronage under Hipparchos of the Pisistratids, who gather a dazzling array of artists. Though termed tyrants, the Pisistratids initially rise as champions of the people, earning the Athenians' support until Hipparchos's missteps lead to his murder by Harmodios and Aristogeiton, marking the downfall of their court. Throughout these upheavals, Simonides endures and eventually retires to Sicily, reflecting on his remarkable life. Renault's narrative vividly captures the passions, politics, and poetry of ancient history, showcasing her unparalleled ability to breathe life into the past.

The epic of Theseus, the boy-king of Eleusis, ritually pre=ordained to die after one year of marriage to the sacred Queen, but who defies the God's decree and claims his inheritance - and the throne of Athens. His friends are the young men and maidens, slaves of the God, chosen for death in the Bull Dance. His fabled enemy is the monstrous half-man, half-bull, Minotaur, devourer of sacrificial human flesh. In her classic re-creation of a myth so powerful that its impact has survived down the centuries, Mary Renault has brought to life the world of ancient Greece. For here is the true Atlantis legend, with its culmination in the terrible fateful destruction of the great Labyrinth, the palace of the house of Minos. Vivid and convincing...it brims with feeling - Sunday Times Takes the raw material of myth and makes it credible...I am spellbound by Miss Renault's art - The Observer One of the truly fine historical novels of modern times. Not since Robert Graves' I, Claudius has there been such an exciting living image of the Ancient World on this grand scale - New York Times

The narrative vividly reimagines the myth of Theseus, exploring his heroic journey and the challenges he faces. Through rich storytelling, it delves into themes of fate, sacrifice, and the struggle for identity. The book immerses readers in ancient Greek culture, highlighting the complexities of its legendary figures while showcasing Theseus's transformation from a young man into a revered king. It captures the essence of mythological adventure, weaving together elements of bravery and destiny.

Il ventesimo secolo è agli albori e la città azera di Baku, sul mar Caspio, è la più asiatica delle città europee, la porta tra Oriente e Occidente. Il giovane musulmano Alì e la bellissima Nina, georgiana di fede cristiana, sono cresciuti insieme e si amano fin da bambini. Alì ha nel sangue la passione dei suoi avi guerrieri per il deserto, mentre la ragazza è stata educata a una sensibilità europea. Lui è coraggioso, leale verso la tradizione; lei è di nobili origini, orgogliosa, intelligente e indossa abiti occidentali. I tentativi di dissuasione delle rispettive famiglie e lo scontro tra culture e religioni non indeboliscono l'amore che lega i due giovani, ma la forza cieca della Grande Guerra e della Rivoluzione russa frantumerà il loro mondo.

Ein Hausboot auf der Themse in den schillernden Dreißigerjahren. Dort geht es um Freundinnen, Schwestern, die Liebe und das turbulente Leben. Unwiderstehlich unterhaltsam erzählt uns Mary Renault über Lebensentwürfe jenseits der Schubladen und Konventionen. «Freundliche junge Damen» ist ein charmanter und intelligenter Roman über Männer, Frauen und Freiheit – eine Wiederentdeckung der besonderen Art. Elsie ist behütet und naiv – und sie ist unglücklich. Die Eltern und das düstere Dorf im Cornwall erdrücken die Siebzehnjährige regelrecht, sodass es nicht verwundert, dass sie sich in den ersten präsentablen Mann verliebt: Peter. Der Arzt aus London rät ihr, von zu Hause abzuhauen und nach London zu ihrer Schwester Leonora zu gehen. Dort staunt Elsie nicht schlecht: Leo lebt auf einem Hausboot auf der Themse und schreibt Western, um ihren Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen. Und sie teilt Boot und Bett mit einer Frau. Als Peter auf das Boot zu Besuch kommt und seine Aufmerksamkeit von einer freundlichen jungen Dame zur nächsten schweifen lässt, hat das für alle überraschende Folgen ... Endlich auf Deutsch: Mary Renaults Roman ist ein moderner Klassiker und ein frühes Beispiel für Literatur mit LGBTQ-Themen. 

Im schwülen Hochsommer liegt Alexander der Große im Sterben, während alte Rivalitäten und Machtgier erneut aufflammen. Seine Frau Roxane und eine persische Königstochter erwarten jeweils ein Kind von ihm. Der Kampf um die Nachfolge des großen Eroberers hat begonnen.

Životopis usiluje o komplexní zobrazení osobnosti Alexandra a jeho činů; vyhýbá se hodnocením a širším historickým souvislostem.

Historický román o dramatickém životním osudu starořeckého básníka Simónída se odehrává v bouřlivé době plné válek, v 6. století př.n.l. Simónídes byl významným básníkem antického Řecka v 6. stol. před Kristem. V románě je vylíčena jeho životní pouť od narození ve městě Iúlis až do sklonku života v Syrakúsách. Básník, jehož nevzhledná tvář ostře kontrastovala s krásou jeho veršů, žil v době plné válek, intrik a zvratů; to se odráželo i na jeho osobních vzestupech a pádech. Autorka umně skloubila historická fakta s fantazií a podařilo se jí přiblížit čtenářům antický svět velkých tyranů i velkých básníků. A také připomenout, že Simónides je autorem epitafu "Poutníče, zvěstuj Lakedaimonským...", který byl určen Sparťanům padlým u Thermopyl.... celý text

Dvojice těsně na sebe navazujících románů, jež zpracovávají antickou pověst o attickém hrdinovi Théseovi, odvíjí před čtenářem obraz antického světa a bájného Labyrintu. Anglická autorka (nar. 1905), proslulá svými historickými náměty, volně dotváří a logicky spojuje známé epizodyz příběhu o Théseovi.