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charlotte_50's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
This book is second in a series about Theseus - one of the divine heroes of ancient Greece. The first book, The King Must Die, describes Theseus' childhood and young adulthood in the Cretan Labyrinth. Its sequel moves onto Theseus' subsequent life, as a great leader of the Attic people, and as lover/consort of both Hippolyta and Phaedra.
It is written as a historical novel, but the protagonist is someone who was (almost certainly) a myth. It provides semi-realist explanations of events that are non-realist or supernatural in mythology, such as the Minotaur. You could say Renault’s real talent lies in bringing to life a sense of how those wild and wonderful ancient stories might have played out. With human beings who were both recognisably human and also not quite exactly like us.
As in other Renault novels, the main character of Theseus is a study of masculinity as much as anything. Perhaps not masculinity exactly as we know it today, but certainly an older form of it. Male leaders are honourable, strong, courageous, and, perhaps most importantly, bound to their gods and their destiny. Women are part of their lives but mostly keep to their own activities in the patriarchy - sex, motherhood, and so on. Theseus is a bit of a ladies man, but halfway through the book, he meets his match when he comes across and falls instantly in love with Hippolyta, leader of the Amazons. This part of the book grabbed me the most.
Without spoiling the plot, the descriptions of Hippolyta and her Maidens of the Moon (Amazon women who worship the goddess Artemis) are quite magical. These women are different from the run-of-the-mill consorts and slave-girls we see earlier. They are strong and powerful in themselves; they have their own society, rituals and abilities as warriors. I have no idea if Renault saw herself as a feminist, but her vision of the Amazons has much to recommend a feminist reading. Through the eyes of a man (Theseus), we see how much more interesting, active and self-actualised the Amazons are, than the roles usually assigned to their gender. Theseus is understandably bewitched.
Renault was a lesbian writer known for writing about gay male relationships in the ancient world (see The Alexander Trilogy among others). In this book, her characterisation of the all-female Amazon matriarchy and Hippolyta is joyfully sapphic. She doesn't get lost in modern comment on this, however. She is careful to keep the actions and thoughts of her characters in the time in which they lived. For example, alongside his love of women, Theseus has a very close, almost romantic friendship with his best buddy, Pirithoos. People in the ancient world simply did not view sexuality or identity in the way we do now.
I recommend this book as heartily as I recommend all Renault's ancient world novels. They take you out of yourself and into a world that is full of heightened sense and emotion.
It is written as a historical novel, but the protagonist is someone who was (almost certainly) a myth. It provides semi-realist explanations of events that are non-realist or supernatural in mythology, such as the Minotaur. You could say Renault’s real talent lies in bringing to life a sense of how those wild and wonderful ancient stories might have played out. With human beings who were both recognisably human and also not quite exactly like us.
As in other Renault novels, the main character of Theseus is a study of masculinity as much as anything. Perhaps not masculinity exactly as we know it today, but certainly an older form of it. Male leaders are honourable, strong, courageous, and, perhaps most importantly, bound to their gods and their destiny. Women are part of their lives but mostly keep to their own activities in the patriarchy - sex, motherhood, and so on. Theseus is a bit of a ladies man, but halfway through the book, he meets his match when he comes across and falls instantly in love with Hippolyta, leader of the Amazons. This part of the book grabbed me the most.
Without spoiling the plot, the descriptions of Hippolyta and her Maidens of the Moon (Amazon women who worship the goddess Artemis) are quite magical. These women are different from the run-of-the-mill consorts and slave-girls we see earlier. They are strong and powerful in themselves; they have their own society, rituals and abilities as warriors. I have no idea if Renault saw herself as a feminist, but her vision of the Amazons has much to recommend a feminist reading. Through the eyes of a man (Theseus), we see how much more interesting, active and self-actualised the Amazons are, than the roles usually assigned to their gender. Theseus is understandably bewitched.
Renault was a lesbian writer known for writing about gay male relationships in the ancient world (see The Alexander Trilogy among others). In this book, her characterisation of the all-female Amazon matriarchy and Hippolyta is joyfully sapphic. She doesn't get lost in modern comment on this, however. She is careful to keep the actions and thoughts of her characters in the time in which they lived. For example, alongside his love of women, Theseus has a very close, almost romantic friendship with his best buddy, Pirithoos. People in the ancient world simply did not view sexuality or identity in the way we do now.
I recommend this book as heartily as I recommend all Renault's ancient world novels. They take you out of yourself and into a world that is full of heightened sense and emotion.
samble's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kellyquinn13's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
deegee24's review against another edition
5.0
Mary Renault's Theseus duology (this is the second volume, following The King Must Die) has been one of the best reading experiences in recent memory. Renault took various myths previously told in epic form and reconstructed them in the form of the modern novel. The major characters such as Theseus, Phaedra and Hippolyta are given rich inner lives for the first time. Yet Renault was a good enough student of Greek history and archaeology that she is able to give the characters plausible thoughts, feelings, and beliefs for people living in the 8th century BCE. Also, because variants of each myth (Phaedra's death, Theseus' defeat of the minotaur and battle with the Amazons, etc.) have been passed down to us from Homer, Socrates, Euripides etc., we don't really know exactly will happen--the story remains suspenseful and Renault deftly offers up her own, very satisfying versions of these myths. Also, Renault has a beautiful prose style and offers evocative descriptions of landscapes and ancient civilizations. These books are not designed as costume romance allegories for post-WWII Britain or historiographic metafiction. I believe they will live on for many more generations.
picaresquity's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fred312's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
cryo_guy's review against another edition
2.0
This one was a little disappointing and not as good as the first of these two Theseus books, which had its own problems.
The main issue I had was staying committed to her mythical Greece. It's half interesting and half too faithful to the idea of reconstructing this "pre-historical" period in Greece. Sometimes it really works where Theseus is working out the details of kingship or going pirating, other times it's just bland tropes.
The worst of the book was her take on the Hippolytus story. As I always say, if the reboot's story is worse than the original story, then they should have just used the original. While Renault is well-read, I don't agree with her sensibilities for this story. She writes in the afterword: "Euripides makes Phaedra hang herself, leaving a written charge against Hippolytos; a gesture persuasive enough, but rather large for so mean a purpose." This seems silly to me, because it is the very grandeur of the purpose that Euripides has Phaedra commit the deed-to say nothing of the symmetry of having the accuser silenced (in death) and the defendant silent (by oath), but I digress...In Renault's version, she has Phaedra live, fine enough, only for Theseus to return later after having killed his son and learned the truth and strangle her for her part-he recognizes her malicious intent-fabricating a suicide note that confesses. Well despite all that, my real issue is how the novel works with only Theseus' perspective. At the end of the day, he seems like an idiot saying no why on earth are my wife and son acting in such strange ways over the course of a year. Truly, one of the more difficult to engage elements was her faithfulness to the misogyny of her reconstructed mythical Greek world. But alongside all that were still some cool things that I won't go into.
Other notables: Pirithoos was fun. Chiron shows up and young Achilles. Much of the story concerns the Amazons, Hippolyta, and then later the horde of Amazon-led barbarians from Scythia. Menestheus (king of Athens in the Iliad) shows up to be a pageboy to Theseus who serves as a dark foil of the old blood-aristocratic kingship with only a feel for surface and reputation. And I suppose I will say Hippolytus the character was fashioned rather interestingly, up until the situation with Phaedra.
I think I woulda skipped this book if I knew what it was like. The 1st was really enough for me. But I decided to be a completionist about Renault since I liked her Socrates, Plato/that actor Nicomedes, and Simonides books. And now, having finished these two books, I can proceed to the Alexander the Great trilogy. Woo.
The main issue I had was staying committed to her mythical Greece. It's half interesting and half too faithful to the idea of reconstructing this "pre-historical" period in Greece. Sometimes it really works where Theseus is working out the details of kingship or going pirating, other times it's just bland tropes.
The worst of the book was her take on the Hippolytus story. As I always say, if the reboot's story is worse than the original story, then they should have just used the original. While Renault is well-read, I don't agree with her sensibilities for this story. She writes in the afterword: "Euripides makes Phaedra hang herself, leaving a written charge against Hippolytos; a gesture persuasive enough, but rather large for so mean a purpose." This seems silly to me, because it is the very grandeur of the purpose that Euripides has Phaedra commit the deed-to say nothing of the symmetry of having the accuser silenced (in death) and the defendant silent (by oath), but I digress...In Renault's version, she has Phaedra live, fine enough, only for Theseus to return later after having killed his son and learned the truth and strangle her for her part-he recognizes her malicious intent-fabricating a suicide note that confesses. Well despite all that, my real issue is how the novel works with only Theseus' perspective. At the end of the day, he seems like an idiot saying no why on earth are my wife and son acting in such strange ways over the course of a year. Truly, one of the more difficult to engage elements was her faithfulness to the misogyny of her reconstructed mythical Greek world. But alongside all that were still some cool things that I won't go into.
Other notables: Pirithoos was fun. Chiron shows up and young Achilles. Much of the story concerns the Amazons, Hippolyta, and then later the horde of Amazon-led barbarians from Scythia. Menestheus (king of Athens in the Iliad) shows up to be a pageboy to Theseus who serves as a dark foil of the old blood-aristocratic kingship with only a feel for surface and reputation. And I suppose I will say Hippolytus the character was fashioned rather interestingly, up until the situation with Phaedra.
I think I woulda skipped this book if I knew what it was like. The 1st was really enough for me. But I decided to be a completionist about Renault since I liked her Socrates, Plato/that actor Nicomedes, and Simonides books. And now, having finished these two books, I can proceed to the Alexander the Great trilogy. Woo.
beannoneya's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic historical fiction! Very queer - normative. Very relatable. It's hard to believe it was written nearly 60 years ago. This goes to show how human we are, and how human we continue to be.