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Maran Illustrated Weight Training. But being an actor in ancient Greece gave him the ability to freely travel between cities, bringing him straight into a the middle of a political drama which he never wanted to be a part he never claimed to know anything about politics which is great for us because we get everything explained.
He meets amazingly drawn historical figures such as Plato, Dion, Dionysios elder and son as they play for power and rule. Also, there is a slight tie in with the Alexander the Great trilogy that is really amazing, putting the happenings of this novel within an even greater historical context.
Her characters are real, complex, and compelling. They also give insight and deeper cultural understanding of ancient Greece and the vast differences between the city states. Among all this, she brings the ancient theatre to life and a perspective on acting that is unique.
Nov 17, Shirin Tondkar rated it liked it Shelves: own-fa , mythology. A beautiful book about theater and an actor in BC. I had pictured an exciting and adventure story before I started reading it. BUT, this was more history than I expected with a slow narrative and more or less similar to Plato's books, it was hard for me to finish it. However, I don't say any negative traits about this book, just I had imagined a different story. View all 4 comments. Jul 20, Jack Massa rated it it was amazing Shelves: historical-fiction , classics.
In one quintessentially Greek moment from this superb novel, the narrator recalls the story of a father of two Olympic champions. At the moment when his sons are crowned, the crowd chants to him to "Die now," because, of course, no moment of his life could ever again be so good. So, in finishing The Mask of Apollo am I tempted to chant to myself: "Give up reading historical fiction now.
Dec 21, Christy English rated it it was amazing. This is one of my favorite books of all time If I said I was reading a historical novel by Mary Renault, written in first person, with a male protagonist who has an inauspicious start in life and an attitude of personal honour and excellence, I might be talking about any one of them.
However, The Mask of Apollo does have its own merits. It is most similar to The Praise-Singer , in that it focuses on the story-teller, an eyewitness to key events, rather than on those in a position of power whose actions have the greatest effect. The Praise-Singer explores one aspect — that of a bard recalling an oral history and composing poetry and song — but The Mask of Apollo explores a different method of story-telling, through plays and actors.
Dec 10, Rozonda rated it it was amazing. A Pagan book if ever there was one. Mary Renault confronts the joy of life and the joy of philosophy in the life of Niko, a Greek actor, who gets to meet Plato and his Academy, philosopher king Dion of Syracusa and , in the end, young Alexander the Great.
Packed with adventure and very deep at the same time, I consider it to be one of Renault's masterpieces. I like when things look like other things, and I like when objects are treated like other objects. Dec 24, Gary rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites , historical-fiction. It's taken me a while to write this review, mostly because I'm not confident that I can really do this book justice. My first attempt devolved into a series of gushy praise, so I figured I'd best get a little distance before giving it another go This is the speech attributed to Dion by Plutarch before the battle to retake It's taken me a while to write this review, mostly because I'm not confident that I can really do this book justice.
This is the speech attributed to Dion by Plutarch before the battle to retake Syracuse, and a little of Plutarch's narrative. I have no doubt Ms. For myself, I have no interests to consult while Syracuse is perishing, and, though I may not save it from destruction, I will nevertheless hasten thither, and be buried in the ruins of my country. Yet if you can find in your hearts to assist us, the most inconsiderate and unfortunate of men, you may to your eternal honor again retrieve this unhappy city.
But if the Syracusans can obtain no more pity nor relief from you, may the gods reward you for what you have formerly valiantly done for them, and for your kindness to Dion, of whom speak hereafter as one who deserted you not when you were injured and abused, nor afterwards forsook his fellow-citizens in their afflictions and misfortunes. The Syracusan messengers hugged and embraced them, praying the Gods to send down blessings upon Dion and the Peloponnesians. When the noise was pretty well over, Dion gave orders that all should go to their quarters to prepare for their march, and, having refreshed themselves, come ready armed to their rendezvous in the place where they now were, resolving that very night to attempt the rescue.
Here is Ms. For me, there is no choice. This is my country. I must go; and if I cannot save her, her ruins shall be my grave. But if you can find it in your hearts to help us, foolish and wretched as we are, you may to your eternal honor still save this unhappy city. If that is too much to ask, then farewell, and all my thanks. May the gods bless you for your past courage, and the kindness you have shown to me. If you speak of me after, say I did not stand by to see you wronged, nor forsake my fellow citizens in disaster.
I could scarcely see for tears. So, not only has she got a lot of chutzpah to take on Plutarch, I think she does a fine job of it. We might attribute much of the stilted nature of that original to the inadequacies of translation and the formality of the time, but even with that in mind her version reads much more smoothly to modern eyes and ears. They will fight or die.
In that sense, she also summarizes the concept of kingship when her protagonist reflects To me it seemed that Dion, though a king in exile, was still a king; he might lead no armies, but men would serve him with their minds, for by believing in him they could believe better in themselves. Most people are looking for that In this installment, Ms. Greek drama is itself a kind of metaphor for high drama in modern parlance, and on a surface level the juxtaposition of a lowly actor with one of the movers and shakers of Greek history like Dion might seem like a bit of a leap.
However, her choice is an astute one. Who better to judge the merits of a speech than an actor on the Greek stage from which we derive many of our standards of public speaking? The word genius is often bandied about today to describe a particularly intelligent or gifted person, but the origin of that word has a spiritual connection that comes from the Greek concept. Where we have lost track of this concept is in embodying it in a biological function.
To us, genius is organic. Genius meant something more external, spiritual and demonstrative to the ancients. It had intrinsic qualities like our version of the idea, but it was also extrinsic in that it that blurred the lines between faith, duty and daily life. When her lead character in Mask of Apollo speaks to his patron and is spoken to by the god through the medium of a dramatic mask actors wore masks on the ancient Greek stage for anyone unaware of that fact he is not engaging in a religious mania, a delusion, a flight of fancy or just an inner dialogue externalized onto a particular focus—he is in communication with his genius.
She gives it to us in the example set by Niko and that retelling of Dion's rousing speech. Her revision of Plutarch is done in order to update the speech that roused an army into something more rousing to a modern reader, and in doing so she shows us how Dion's genius manifested as a leader. Plus, I think she just couldn't resist "fixing" Plutarch's version In doing so, she once again covers the main historical points of the period that she describes and breathes them to life in believable and poignant ways.
That makes this period piece one just as strong as any other period writer that I can think of, and superior to most. Because of the primacy of the Greek world in the rest of the Western literary canon, in our history and throughout the culture, that makes this book an important achievement. I highly recommend this one to anyone with a literary bent at all, let alone an interest in the period that she is describing.
View all 18 comments. Jun 05, Margaret rated it it was amazing Shelves: british-literature , read , historical-fiction , greeks , authors-qrs. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Nikeratos is an actor in fourth century BC Greece, following in the footsteps of his famous father.
Everywhere he performs, he brings a golden mask of Apollo, to which he goes for advice and guidance. After an impressive performance at Delphi, Niko meets Dion of Syracuse, who is a distinguished politician and a dear friend of Plato's, the inspiration for Plato's philosopher-king. Niko is drawn to Dion and because of this is also drawn into the political turmoil in Sicily after King Dionysios die Nikeratos is an actor in fourth century BC Greece, following in the footsteps of his famous father.
Niko is drawn to Dion and because of this is also drawn into the political turmoil in Sicily after King Dionysios dies. Renault is hands-down one of the best historical fiction writers I've read. Her sense of place is impeccable and seamless, nothing feels anachronistic, and her characters are perfectly of their time and place. She understands her setting so well that she can convey it to the reader without resorting to boring infodumps or overly long explanations in dialogue, or relying on the reader's knowledge of ancient Greece.
Nearly all of her characters are historical with the exception of Nikeratos himself , and her fictional portrayal of them chimes beautifully with their historical selves. In The Mask of Apollo , Renault's use of an actor as the viewpoint character is brilliant. Niko understands how a crowd works, because he plays to them all the time, whereas the politicians, who ought to know, really don't. Yet Niko also understands what the politician-philosophers are trying to do, even as they can't quite accomplish it.
The last little bit, where he meets Alexander and realizes that here is the student Plato needed and will never get, is simply perfect. View all 3 comments. Jun 17, Christin rated it really liked it Shelves: lgbtq , greeks-and-romans-too , mary-renault. My first venture into non-Alexander Mary Renault. I can't help but be sucked in by the first page. Something about her work At least, I don't.
May 17, Brenda Clough rated it it was amazing. A wonderful book. Mary Renault is as good as your own personal time machine if you do not mind only ever traveling to classical Greece. She is also a total whiz at taking you into a specialized world -- in this case, the theater -- and making its thrills and excitements your own. Jan 24, Matt rated it it was amazing. Such a wonderful book!
I wonder why I waited so long to pick this one up! The story is a fleshing out of the history of Greece in the mid-4th century BCE. The main character who is fictional, like much of the book, but not all! Having chosen such a character for her novel allows Renault to travel all over the Mediterranean and to explore life much more fully than if she h Such a wonderful book! Having chosen such a character for her novel allows Renault to travel all over the Mediterranean and to explore life much more fully than if she had selected someone more conventional like a soldier, politician, or philosopher.
The plot spends a lot of time in Syracuse and folds in a good deal of the history of Plato's Academy. There are a myriad of famous personages that it is fun to see in this story including one very famous, handsome young general, who makes for an excellent coda to novel. Although Renault takes liberties with some of the historical details that we do not or cannot know, the book smacks of reality and seems to capture the spirit of the age better than any dry history could.
This, again, is largely thanks to the main character. Nikeratos is equal parts savvy, sensitive, and sage. Following him through the novel is a delight. He falls in love often, usually with men, which must have caused some stir when the book was first published in the 60s. The love is never a big part of the action though and it is treated as a simple matter of fact.
Niko's motives are most frequently explained by his dedication to the gods Dionysus and Apollo and by his commitment to his art. In the service of these, we see him travel the Mediterranean, encounter many people from different backgrounds, and perform plays some real, some imagined by the author. Perhaps the best part of this novel is its ability to cut through all of the worldviews that appear political, philosophical, hedonistic to explore what really motivates people.
The picture of Plato and his disciple Dion forms the centerpiece of the novel as you could guess from the epigraph, which is Plato's eulogy of Dion. I don't know what else to say, except that I'm sad it's over. I haven't enjoyed a historical novel so much since The Red Tent. This is a real classic. You'll lose sleep to read it. Or at least I did. Following the life of actor Nikeratos and his various adventures touring the classical world, in particular his friendship with Dion of Syracuse and Plato the philosopher as they try to forge a Republic in Syracuse.
Once again Renault creates and inhabits a character who seems to in turn inhabits and evokes his world perfectly, and more than that who lives and breathes the theatre, which informs every aspect of his life and outlook. It's a breathtaking achievement, seemingly effortless, utterly Following the life of actor Nikeratos and his various adventures touring the classical world, in particular his friendship with Dion of Syracuse and Plato the philosopher as they try to forge a Republic in Syracuse.
It's a breathtaking achievement, seemingly effortless, utterly absorbing the reader and bringing the ancient world to life. It's odd, though that the tone of a book about art and which views art as a mode of worship of he gods, should feel so pragmatic and grounded in the craft of the actor and the mechanisms and logistics of production and touring, in contrast with the Theseus novels, about heroism and kingship, which have an almost dream-like quality to them with the feeling that of the divine ready to manifest around every rock and tree.
Niko communes with Apollo via an old mask, and often feels the eyes of the god upon him and receives oracles as he wrestles with issues of conscience and obligation, but Niko makes his offerings to a god, he doesn't feel and act as if he is half a god himself.
Niko is a good and decent man trying to do right by his own talents and maybe contribute something to the larger events he finds himself a small part of. His voice is bold and confident and self-assured and his first and second-hand accounts of the story of Syracuse and Dion and Plato are wonderful.
Another brilliant book by Renault. Jun 15, Woody Burchett rated it it was amazing. This book has everything I look for in good historical fiction. It doesn't fall into the trap of projecting modern character motivations or storytelling tropes into a fundamentally different world, but instead concerns itself with the issues of the time period. What is the ideal system of government?
Is the Platonic idea of a philosopher-king viable? Is it possible for a ruler to govern a base people without debasing himself? How should the gods be portrayed in the theater? Is it best for drama This book has everything I look for in good historical fiction.
Is it best for drama be realistic or aspirational? It's also meticulously researched and brings to life important aspects of ancient Greek life, without getting into as much day-to-day minutiae as something like the Hellenic Traders series does. Your Rating:. Your Comment:. Read Online Download. Add a review Your Rating: Your Comment:.
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