The Persian Boy by Mary Renault Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Persian Boy
Book Review: A huge hit
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this book! I couldn't put it down, so I ended up reading from about 11 pm to 6 am. This is probably the first real historical fiction I've ever read, and it's made me hungry for more. ::grins:: The characters were believable, if Renaults portrayal of the times/societies were correct. I loved Bagoas' "voice", and his absolute devotion and love he develops for Alexander. You see Alexander's transformation from Macedonian 'boy' to Great King, and his devotion to his soldiers, the Persians, and his dream. The respect the Persians have for Alexander, because of his desire and attempts to keep them equal with the Macedonians, becomes more and more obvious later in the book. The story telling is lush and gripping for the most part. While sometimes the story pacing felt a little slow, it wasn't enough to damage my enjoyment of the book. I haven't got the first or third books yet, but I will as soon as I can scrape some money together. [Because so many of the sources that could have been considered mostly reliable have been lost or damaged beyond what current technology can fix, we can only speculate based on biased anti-Alexander sources (Like the Athenians) what Alexander may have really been like. But if you'd like a glimpse of what such a widely known historical figure may have been like, to see Alexander and the people he was involved with as real people, I highly recommend this book.]Book Review: A nice complement to the first volume
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent book and a very good compliment to the first book in the trilogy. I'm looking forward to reading the third.Book Review: A very enticing view of Alexander the Great.
Summary: 5 Stars
_____I have read many books in my 17 years, but few have
captured me as The Persian Boy has. It is the story of a
persian boy sold into slavery and eventually becomes slave
to King Darius III. As Persia is lost to Alexander's army
early in the story, the boy becomes first a servant then
a lover to Alexander.
_____Perhaps the most interesting part of the story is that
Renault maintains an enormous level of accuracy both about
the historical events, and about the relationship between
this boy and Alexander, based on records from the time.
_____Another important aspect of this book is how it captures
a boy's feelings and emotions when his father is lost, when
he is forced to be a prostitute, and when he falls in love.
Man-boy love is very taboo in our modern era, and those of
you who have prejudices against such things might enjoy
the viewpoint of a boy from 2300 years ago.
Review: Absolutely wonderful...Summary: 5 Stars and an excellent introduction to Alexander himself. As another reviewer said, it's such a good book, you don't want it to end.
Book Review: Alexander the Great through the eyes of a Persian teenager.
Summary: 5 Stars
The Persian Boy is written in first person from the pov of Bagoas, a teenaged Pesian eunuch who had been the slave of Darius the Great, whom Alexander conquered. When I read this story, I felt as if my feet became dusty from hiking through the mountains behind Alexander. I thirsted in the desert with him and his troops and raged with them in battle. In viewing Alexander through the eyes of Bagoas, I came away with the impression of having dwelt with two of the most noble characters in history. I read this book the first time when I was about 30; I have had a fascination for all things Alexandrian in the nearly 20 years since. Masterful writing, sensuality without vulgarity and history not told from a 20th century mindset elevate this book to the superb. If this is not the actual history of Alexander as it unfolded - it should have been. I have judged all books about him by the standards set in this epic. I have re-read this book a dozen times and enjoyed new aspects with each one. The highest recommendation.