Mary Renault's Alexander Trilogy

Today I received the Folio Society Christmas catalog. According to it Mary Renault's Alexander trilogy will be available at the Folio Society website on 7th November. I have not read about it before so I would like to know if anybody here can tell me if this will be worth reading.

Oh my gosh!!!

I have long suggested they should do it! I am so curious to know how it will look (and what it will cost). It is a must have for me. I read these books as a teenager and they convinced me to study Ancient History. I ended up studying with one of the greatest experts on Alexander the Great who knew Mary Renault well and always said that these books are the best (and most believable) fictional portrait of Alexander ever. They are highly readable and most engaging (btw, they were not really meant for children although I guess they can be read with profit by intelligent teenagers). The first one, Fire from Heaven is by far the best - the last one is a bit.... problematic.

Mary Renault had a fascinating history - from a struggling nurse after the War to a world-famous novelist who came to live in South Africa with her partner. There is a good biography of her which I have .... somewhere.

Gosh — I read a few of her books many years ago and really liked them. My tastes have changed so not sure whether I would now.

>1 rainerc: That set will be hard to resist.

> 2,3,4 Thanks for your opinion. Seems I'm already enabled, especially after I read this wonderful 1-star review on Amazon:
"I hate this book. My school asigned this book. It is an extreamly diffcult book to read. It is not a book, it is like a history text book!" ;)

>1 rainerc:
Thanks for the heads-up. This is a must have for me. Best to save my 10% voucher!

I got the Christmas catalogue today too and don't see any mention of this trilogy. Perhaps not available in North America? Or did I miss it somehow?

> 7: It is mentioned in the "P.S." of the letter which came with the catalog.

Thanks for the heads up, I'd missed that PS. I have read other of her books, and do have this trilogy in paperback (which I will probably read first), but certainly I will drop it into the wishlist!

> 10 Where did you get this from? Can you see it on the site already? I can't see anything yet.

Thanks for sharing. I agree - this looks like a must have, and I look forward to rereading the trilogy after all these years.

It appeared on facebook a few hours ago.

It is up! http://www.foliosociety.com/book/AXT/alexander-trilogy

Most interesting looking - intriguing pictures (not quite sure if I love them yet) and a beautiful design (clever play with the sun/moon on the covers over the course of the three books).

Rather intriguing too is the amount of detail that is available on the website about this edition - almost as if it is a LE.

The price is quite reasonable. Unfortunately I cannot buy it right now as I will be away for several months, but will certainly be getting this next year!

A striking set, although (here comes the carping) I find the design of the spines a little busy. I would prefer to see the lettering run across the width of the spines, not down their length, especially since they are pleasingly fat volumes. I like the illustrations and covers though.

I like the general design of the set a lot, though I would have preferred full buckram. Folio seems to be moving quickly away from this and toward paper sides quite heavily this publication year, much to the chagrin of many of us. I neither love nor hate the illustrations. Not what I would have chosen, but it will not stop me from purchasing (unlike the much anticipated Breakfast At Tiffany's where the illustrations proved a deal-breaker for me). This will go on the wish list but will not be purchased at anything like full price.

I'm not at all fond of the illustrations, and in fact, have pretty much stayed away from any of the books done by Geoff Grandfield, such as the Graham Greenes, who is otherwise an author I rather enjoy. Definitely won't be buying this set at full price and will instead borrow the trilogy from the library to get acquainted with it. On the other hand, I find the spine design very pleasing.

I'm also very fond of the artwork in Breakfast at Tiffany's (why is it so few people here use touchstones? They are very useful!) and will definitely order it eventually, probably at full price.

>18 Smiler69:

I couldn't agree with you more--on both points. I picked up the Graham Greene on the secondary market at a steep discount (bad illustrations at least make for cheap used FS books). As for Breakfast at Tiffany's, I have a copy and the illustrations are indeed wonderful (plus there's the glittery cover which can be fully appreciated only in person).

From the FS email:

P.S. We have selected a further nine books which we would recommend for fans of Mary Renault’s historical fiction – or those yet to discover it. Each of these recommendations is available at 20% off, when you buy The Alexander Trilogy. This offer is exclusive to members.

And of course, there's a prize draw for 1 of 5 Grandfield-signed copies this month.

This set is tempting, but my bank balance needs to recover a little first. I can wait for a discount which I am sure will come along at some point.

I'm very relieved not to be tempted by this one. Yay! More floor space!

Hello All.

First Post

I did just receive an e-mail announcement about the Mary Renault set from Folio. I have not yet entered my 2014 order. Now I have more selections to agonize over. Woe is me.
These approach-approach choices are the most difficult.

Welcome IndyTaz.
I trust that as someone who has read this forum, you are aware of Folio Addiction Disorder. All those who join this forum need to be warned that FAD is incurable and expensive. Welcome to the slippery slope and the club. May your library of beautiful FS books ever expand.

>24 Forthwith: Hello, welcome to the madhouse, come right in, sorry about all the Folios piled everywhere but they do cushion the walls a little!

Thank you cronshaw and wcarter. I have been suffering from FAD since the 60s. This with a Franklin Library diagnosis renders me a hopeless case.

>27 Forthwith: Ah, so you're a Fralibaddict too. Sounds painful... are you doubled up with both Folio and Franklin editions of most of your books?

I generally have been careful to avoid that.
I targeted American works and the Record series with the Franklin Library as well as a few First Edition and Signed First Edition.
Maybe, I need to consider a McLibrary.

An edited version of Daniel Mendelsohn's introduction to The Alexander trilogy occupies three pages of today's TLS, which also carries a review by Jonathan Keates of the new Virago edition of The charioteer.

The Virago book has an introduction by Simon Russell Beale, and, as an off-topic aside mainly to UK devotees, if you haven't yet booked to see Russell Beale's King Lear at the National Theatre, you'd best get on with it, as it seems to be selling out very quickly.

I wouldn't like to give the impression to spit in the soup, to use a French phrase which must sound a bit strange to foreign ears, but this set is a complete failure for me:
- paper sides
- pseudo-Greek font on the spine---yurk!
- title running along the spine and not across, as already noted by a fellow member
- horrible illustrations (to my taste; but what I read in some posts just above makes me feel less alone)

Conclusion: I would have been very interested in this set which would have allowed me to discover Mary Renault's writings, but not in the present FS mistreatment.

Well, I go against the stream here and say I like the illustrations. I also like the binding design (though I think something more original and appropriate for the font should have been considered - hasn't that font been used for some book or movie or both with a Pacific Island setting?). And the works are so highly regarded that I will end up with them in my library in one form or another.

However, my FS wishlist is quite long and my budget may never get back to what it was before my out-of-work period, so, at this price, the Alexander Trilogy may never make the trip from my wishlist to my cart.

Os.