The Praise Singer (1978)

3.5 – 4 stars

Mary Renault’s _The Praise Singer_ is another highly enjoyable visit to the world of ancient Greece. This time we have left the heroic age of her consummate Theseus series (The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea) and entered the early classical period of Athens during the reigns of the tyrant Pisistratos and his heirs as seen through the eyes of the poet Simonides. This turns out to be something of a golden age for Athens and the arts, at least according to Simonides, which lies precariously on the edge of political upheaval and, ultimately, the coming storm of the Graeco-Persian war.

Simonides, the ugly but gifted child of a wealthy landowner on the small and severe island of Keos, tells us the story of his life as he grows from a provincial outcast into a shining star in the cultural centre of the Ionian world. He is an amiable narrator, seemingly unafraid to tell the truth as he sees it, and embodies almost equal parts perceptive insight and naïve simplicity. Given that this is a first-person narrative we obviously see the events of Simonides’ world through his eyes and thus the events that make up his life are central to the story, and yet I also had the sense that however much his life may be the focus of the tale and even be a not insignificant part of the cultural centre of his world, he is still much more of an observer than a participant in what we see. What I mean by that is that while Simonides was in no way a grey or lifeless character I still felt as though it was his world, and not the character himself, that took centre stage in the story. Simonides is also never a mystery to the reader, but I think that is because he is presented as a very straightforward man, a plain-speaking one whose position on any subject is able to be known without needing to ask. This simplicity of character means that there are times that the significance of events, and especially the nuances of personalities, can be overlooked by him until he sees them in a new light after events have fallen out in an unexpected way. The fact that the story is told as a memoir by Simonides as he looks back from old age on the various events of his life lends itself nicely to this nuance of his personality. As is perhaps likely to be the case with any tale set in ancient Greece the story is something of a tragedy, but it is not so much a personal tragedy for an individual brought on by hubris (though that does certainly play a part in things, as it must) as it is a tragedy for a people and a way of life subject to the vicissitudes of time and fortune.

Renault explores many themes in this novel: the unfairness of a human nature which by default castigates ugliness and praises beauty; meditations on the nature and purpose of art as well as its abuses; the precarious nature of human society and the seemingly small, and even personal, incidents that can lead to the downfall of an entire culture; and the serenity that can be found in remaining true to oneself and one’s principles. Aside from these themes the story is worth reading simply to enjoy Renault’s fluid mastery of her prose and her vivid depiction of a long-gone world. I will admit to having enjoyed the Theseus books more, I think that was at least partially because the shading between the natural and the supernatural was still very ambiguous in those and the mythical was coinciding with the historical in a fascinating way, whereas here we are in a much more ‘modern’ and almost purely historical setting where, if the gods are not exactly disbelieved in, they are certainly treated with much more complacency. I sometimes felt as though Simonides’ point of view was occasionally a little too restrictive, though I can’t really count that as a fault since it was really an expression of effective character building and was also inherent in the format Renault chose for her tale; really this was more a case of my own desires not always coinciding with the author’s purpose.

All in all, though, this was an excellent tale that immerses the reader into a specific era of the Hellenic world with vivid characters and a quick, fluid pace. Definitely recommended to lovers of well-written historical fiction and the world of ancient Greece. ( )

A beautifully written book, a historical novel, first person account of the life of Simonides, a lyric poet of the late sixth and early fifth century Greece. Great detail and attempt to capture the period. Spoiler alert, but the climax at the end is the assassination of Hipparchus, an archon/dictator of Athens who brought Simonides to that city; I was a little disappointed that the book did not move more quickly and also include the battle of Thermopylae, for which Simonides wrote a famous epitaph, and his life in Thessaly and Sicily. Anyway, highly recommended for students and lovers of the period and the culture, but a bit of patience is necessary. ( )

This is not my absolute favorite Mary Renault - that would be The Persian Boy OF COURSE - but I give it five stars nonetheless because the worst book by Mary Renault is better than the best book of most writers. And The Praise Singer is definitely in the top tier of Renault's novels of ancient Greece.

Renault's imagined life of the poet Simonides begins with young Sim's wretched early days as a virtual slave in his harsh father's house. When Sim gathers enough courage to beg a traveling singer to apprentice him, his life takes a dramatic turn for the better; at last he is able to give voice to the words and music he has been hiding from his family. I like the small authentic details that Renault always brings to her historical fiction; she always provides the reader with a whole world to wander about in. And I like that she doesn't (in Josephine Tey's words) "write forsoothly;" her characters converse in modern English, with just the occasional soupcon of antiquity.

Unlike other Renault protagonists, Simonides is straight, not gay; I find that Renault is more skilled at creating romantic tension with her gay or bisexual characters. Still, Simonides' relationship with the beautiful hetaera Lyra is handled with grace and tenderness, and in any case, it is clear from the get-go that the poet's driving force is not love, but the quest for immortality through his art. A lovely novel. ( )

An account of a turbulent period in Greek history, told from the viewpoint of one of the last Greek poets in the Homeric tradition. Mary Renault weaves a story that feels real and as if we are observing history as it happens. I first read this shortly after it was first published and it was one of those books that left me wanting to know more about the time in which it was set. Coming back to it thirty years later it still makes me feel the same way. ( )

It's been years since I read Mary Renault. It was actually joining LT that made me realize I hadn't read this one. I needed to finish all her Greek books, so I went right out and found it.

Was I let down because it's been so long? Have I changed a lot in the last few years? Or is this really as dull as it seemed to me?

This is one of those books where I kept expecting something big to happen and it never did. Simonides is an appealing character who has a difficult childhood and becomes successful in the profession he was born for: lyric poetry (he's a Homeric bard).

Now this seemed like a great topic for Renault to tackle. But I guess I wanted more fighting and intrigue. Simonides sings of the great deeds of the legendary heroes. He refers to them in his narrative and his daily speech. But his own great deeds are pretty pedestrian. He composes poems and music, performs, wins accolades, eats well, sleeps soundly, enjoys his time with women who are desirable, but not too exciting.

Maybe this is Renault's idea of a happy life. Maybe she saw herself as the bard who has been able to achieve her heart's desire. The only thing she didn't have was the interesting times Simonides lived in. ( )