- Hardcover
- Publisher: Pantheon Books New York; Third Impression edition (1958)
- ASIN: B001OXQI2Q
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13.7 x 3.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,874,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mary Renault's great historical novel of Theseus begins when he is a young man in Troizen, a well-bred youth who has never known his father's identity. When, with the help of the gods, he succeeds in lifting a stone to reclaim his father's sword, Theseus discovers that he is the son of Aigeus, King of Athens. On his way to Athens to meet him, Theseus arrives in Eleusis, where after wrestling the king in a fight to the death, he finds himself, unexpectedly, the King of Eleusis. Later, in Athens, when fourteen young men and women are chosen by lot to become bull-dancers in Crete, fulfilling a tribute demanded by the King of Crete, Theseus listens to his god and joins the group, never knowing if he will survive to return to his father.
Renault tells the story of Theseus as if Theseus were a real person, not a mythical character, using history, archaeology, and a deep understanding of the cultures of the period to place Theseus in a realistic context. Her descriptions of the lifting of the stone, the wrestling match in Eleusis, Theseus's arrival at the palace in Athens, and especially his experiences in becoming a bull dancer bring the period vibrantly to life in ways consistent with the historical record. Theseus's devotion to the god Poseidon, to whom he prays throughout his journey, reflects his appreciation of his own smallness in relation to the gods, and his honoring of the gods unique to the kingdoms he visits show how the Greek religion gradually incorporated increasing numbers of gods and goddesses to explain the increasingly complex mysteries of life faced by Greek citizens.
Renault never fails to treat Theseus, his religion and culture, and the traditions of the countries in which he travels with the dignity they would have inspired in their own period. She never patronizes either her characters or her readers, writing with elegance and a fine appreciation for the details of daily life, the art of the period, and the pantheon of gods thought to control men's destinies. Whether Theseus was a real man whose strength and reputation grew to mythical proportions, as Renault illustrates, or whether he was, in fact, a mythical character whom she places in a realistic context in ancient Greece is less important than the fact that she creates a plausible life for this monumental character. Few, if any, other authors are so successful in recreating an entire era, its people, its beliefs, and its culture. Mary Whipple
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Everyone thinks they know the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, but this puts magical flesh on the bones of the story. Mary Renault's writing style is always superb - literate without being "literary", spare and vivid. This first volume of Theseus' autobiography takes him from childhood to the violent and epic end to his captivity in Crete, (as one of the Athenian youths taken to perform like gladiators in the bull ring of the Labyrinth), via his reunion with his father (whose mistress tries to kill him) and his time as consort to a queen who will force him to wrestle to the death with the next king. The fantastic elements of the story are all accounted for in a thoroughly plausible way, and the story is exciting and full of action. One of the best books I have ever read.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Renault is a magical writer with an almost unique ability to immerse her readers in the glittering alien culture of the ancient world.
Here she takes the early life of Theseus, boy heir to the King of Athens and creates a powerful narrative of his coming of age. She knows her ancient sources, not just the classical Greek myths but also the pre-classical Minoan civilisation and carries us with her without faltering.
Theseus joins the band of Athenian youths paid as tribute to Minos, the King of Crete, and then saves them from early death at the hands of the Minotaur (here an illegitimate son of Minos, rather than the monstrous man-bull of myth). He meets Ariadne, daughter of Minos and with her help eventually escapes with his companions back to Athens, en route abandoning her on Naxos.
The book ends with the death of his father due to Theseus' own unthinking oversight so that he himself reaches manhood and ascends to the kingship.
Like Renault's other novels set in ancient Greece, this is a beautifully written and haunting tale of love, duty and growing up, set in an alien culture that both comes alive and is made effortlessly comprehensible through Renault's superb mediation.
If you loved this, read The Bull from the Sea, the 2nd part of Theseus' life.
Here she takes the early life of Theseus, boy heir to the King of Athens and creates a powerful narrative of his coming of age. She knows her ancient sources, not just the classical Greek myths but also the pre-classical Minoan civilisation and carries us with her without faltering.
Theseus joins the band of Athenian youths paid as tribute to Minos, the King of Crete, and then saves them from early death at the hands of the Minotaur (here an illegitimate son of Minos, rather than the monstrous man-bull of myth). He meets Ariadne, daughter of Minos and with her help eventually escapes with his companions back to Athens, en route abandoning her on Naxos.
The book ends with the death of his father due to Theseus' own unthinking oversight so that he himself reaches manhood and ascends to the kingship.
Like Renault's other novels set in ancient Greece, this is a beautifully written and haunting tale of love, duty and growing up, set in an alien culture that both comes alive and is made effortlessly comprehensible through Renault's superb mediation.
If you loved this, read The Bull from the Sea, the 2nd part of Theseus' life.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointing
I expected this series to be better than I found it, as it's got such good reviews.
Theseus lives in Troizen with his mum and grandad. Read more
Theseus lives in Troizen with his mum and grandad. Read more
Published 2 months ago by workoutsforbreakfast
Simply brilliant
This may be the best book I've ever read. It takes quite a skill to re-mould such a classic legend and make it seem fresh and new. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Peter Sandham
Myths Made Real
I read this and it's sequel in my adolescence and so I was a little apprehensive coming back to it, older and hopefully wiser, certainly much better read, however I found that it... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Pedro
'This being Theseus -the Queen Must Die'
This books is well written and researched. It is evocative, and Theseus and the other characters come to life. It makes compelling reading. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Lucinda
A vivid and plausible vision of the Bronze Age Aegean
Perhaps my most major criticism of the entire book is that it does get off to a bit of a slow start. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Isis
Satisfied
I ordered what I wanted, I got what I wanted in good time for when I wanted it. Thank you.
Published on 26 April 2010 by Sue Furneaux
A gripping tale of a different world
I bought this because I'd found the sequel "The Bull From The Sea" at a holiday gite and enjoyed it. Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2009 by Nicholas Jefferies
Still as powerful
I promised myself that I would re-read The King Must Die AFTER I had finished my first novel (Libertas). Read more
Published on 31 May 2009 by Alistair Forrest
Ordinary tale of a fantastic legend
This novel is an attempt to provide a more likely retelling of the legend of Theseus. It tries to do this by omitting the fantastical elements of the legend, such as the Minotaur... Read more
Published on 5 Oct 2008 by Adam Graham Malster
Preserving a vital tradition - the modern way.
Ancient history and mythology have disastrously become neglected in recent years. We must know our origins, even if symbolic, and modern psychology relies heavily on usually... Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2008 by M.I.
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