The Persian Boy [Paperback]

It tells the tale of the later parts of Alexander the Great's conquests. The whole book is written from the perspective of his eunuch Bagoas. Renault has ignored the historical debate regarding this individual's existence and has instead made him a window into the soul of a magnificant man. The story is an emotional roller coaster, we along with Bagoas fall in love with Alexander. We watch him achieve victory after victory and fall into the depths of despair at his failures.

Renault has made Alexander accessable to all. Those with no knowledge of ancient history will access Alexander as easily as scholars. The events of Alexnder's life are made vividly real to all. We mourn with Alexander when his life long companion Hephaestion dies. We cheer when he wins, worry when falters and mourn when he dies.

This is Mary Renault's best and most moving novel. The triliogy is fantastic but this is the most powerful and moving of the stories.

A must for everyone.

As other reviewers have noted, the book is not without its flaws, both artistic and historical, and Mary Renault herself was fully aware of these. But because *The Persian Boy* is not simply an historical novel but a safe place of generous beauty created by an author of not inconsiderable courage-and this in the teeth of contemporary distaste for such themes-other critical standards should also be applied. It can be argued that *The Persian Boy* is as significant for an objective appreciation of a complex and important writer as it may be for a study of the development of the modern historical novel itself. A close reading of *The Persian Boy* reveals more than Mary Renault's own understanding of the nature of Alexander.

Although portrayed through the eyes of Bagoas himself, the story's creative power and tension as much concerns Hephaistion's relationship with Alexander as it does that of Bagoas. The infatuated (and, at times, potentially murderous) youth must learn to grow up, to surrender his selfishness if he is to retain what has been real. At the last, Bagoas is depicted as rising to the challenge his declared love has set him: to allow his beloved the freedom to love another more. The vengeful possessiveness of the mythical Achilles for Patroklos, juxtaposed with the unresolved ambiguities of Alexander's love for Hephaistion, find a counterpoint in Bagoas' selfless care of the dying Alexander. Even a final kiss is given as Hephaistion would have offered it, wanting Alexander to receive it from whomever his heart wishes, steady in the knowledge that the love which matters is that which is given unreservedly. All lovers come to this place; Bagoas' love has travelled far to become worthy of the name.

There will be many views of *The Persian Boy*, some more unfavourable than others. But there are also older readers who say of her books that they comforted them at a time when little comfort else was to be found. When the necessary critical analysis of Mary Renault's work is accomplished, perhaps this too should not be forgotten.