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The Persian Boy by Mary Renault
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The Persian Boy

by Mary Renault

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922123,840 (4.19)21
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A good historical work, that is rightly a classic. The issues, some of which are highly sensitive, are dealt with sympathetically and the story is a faithful reproduction of the life of Alexander the Great.

Nevertheless, I personally found the focus on Alexander from a human perspective, whilst skirting over the battles and strategy (an area that would not be known by the protagonist, Bagoas) was a little tiresome. ( )
sirfurboy | Apr 23, 2009 |  
Beautiful prose; an enchanting portrayal of Bagoas's life with Alexander the Great.
Adele_CB | Dec 12, 2008 |  
This is historical fiction that is engrossing on the scale of Robert Graves' masterpiece I, Claudius. It has, however, much less political intrigue than you might hope for, making it more of a historical romance than historical fiction. ( )
mambo_taxi | Jul 3, 2008 |  
Dense story with fascinating historical perspectives on life of Alexander the Great, punctuated by sections of copius detail and confusing writing. I found this book hard to read as I never did click with the author's style of writing. At times, I had to re-read passages to fully understand her meaning. Finally, a rewarding read. ( )
dugmel | Apr 17, 2008 |  
Romance with eunuch.

Alexander lives large and

conquers Asian lands. ( )
librarianlk | Oct 30, 2007 |  
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Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Awards and honors
Epigraph
If anyone has the right to be measured by the standards of his own time, it is Alexander.

Hermann Bengtson: The Greeks and the Persians
Dedication
First words
Lest anyone should suppose I am a son of nobody, sold off by some peasant father in a drought year, I may say our line is an old one, though it ends with me.
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Book description

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0394751019, Paperback)

“It takes skill to depict, as Miss Renault has done, this half-man, half Courtesan who is so deeply in love with the warrior.”–The Atlantic Monthly

The Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexander’s life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. Abducted and gelded as a boy, Bagoas was sold as a courtesan to King Darius of Persia, but found freedom with Alexander after the Macedon army conquered his homeland. Their relationship sustains Alexander as he weathers assassination plots, the demands of two foreign wives, a sometimes-mutinous army, and his own ferocious temper. After Alexander’s mysterious death, we are left wondering if this Persian boy understood the great warrior and his ambitions better than anyone.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:55 -0400)

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