Opal Enterprises, A Company Offering Window Replacement In Naperville, Attends … – Online PR News (press release)
Behind the Vines: Jada –jewel tucked in the woods – Paso Robles Press
|
Behind the Vines: Jada –jewel tucked in the woodsPaso Robles PressHer brother, formerly an analyst in online advertising in San Francisco, is now working under Galzignato, learning hands-on how to grow grapes and make wine. Everything at Jada revolves around family. The name of the winery is homage to Messina's …and more »
|
The Last of the Wine
In The Last of the Wine, two young Athenians, Alexias and Lysis, compete in the palaestra, journey to the Olympic games, fight in the wars against Sparta, and study under Socrates. As their relationship develops, Renault expertly conveys Greek culture, showing the impact of this supreme philosopher whose influence spans epochs.
Customer Review: Good novel for GLBT young adults.
What makes a novel for “young adults”? Is it one written for them, one marketed to them, or one which they will like? The correct answer is, of course, “any or all.”
I cannot find the reference, but I remember reading an interview with an author who had been quite successful in writing novels for adults, who had been asked to try her hand at a young adult novel. She was advised that the best way to do that was to make her main character the right age, and go on from there.
Given that the main action of the novel starts when the narrator, Alexias, is fifteen and ends when he is in his early twenties, this would classify the work as a young adult novel, although it is usually marketed and criticized as an adult novel.
The story is set in Athens, during and just after the Peloponnesian War. Alexias and his lover Lysis become pupils of Socrates. However, it is not all dry philosophical discussion. Alexias is a middle-distance runner and Lysis is a pankratist. (Pankration was a Greek combat sport; it means ‘all power’ and involved anything short of biting, gouging, and hair-pulling. Kicks, punches, throw-holds, grappling, and joint-locks were all parts of the pankratist’s repertoire. I suppose the nearest thing we have would be full-contact karate.)
Now, why would a teenager be interested in this? Well, the popularity of such films as Troy and The Three Hundred shows that Classical civilization is still of interest to young people; so does the continued growth of enrollments in high school Latin classes. Both war and sports–subjects which young men in this age group find interesting–are important parts of the plot. And, last of all, it is such a well-written, interesting story that one can hardly fail to be sucked into it.
Lastly, for GLBT teens, it offers us a view of a society in which same-sex relationships are seen as normal, even expected. Indeed, Alexias’ year-mate Xenophon–yes, the same person who later wrote the Anabasis; Renault is famous for putting real and made-up characters together–is totally heterosexual. At least Alexias suspects that he may be, but says that (a) he couldn’t bring himself to ask in so many words and (b) if it were he felt rather sorry for his friend who would thus have missed out on an important part of life. When Alexias’ father goes off to Sicily with the army, he and his son sit down for The Talk–but it isn’t about girls. Renault presents all this very matter-of-factly. That such a society could exist once implies that it could exist again.
In spite of this, Renault does not idealize Ancient Greece. The evil of slavery, the low place of women, and the casual cruelty are unblinkingly presented. (For example, the way prisoners of war were treated makes recent US violations of the Geneva Conventions look tame.) Contrast this with the thoroughly judgmental tone of Frank Yerby’s Goat Song, which imposes early-twentieth century values on Classical Greek culture.
For a more extended discussion of Mary Renault’s writing, see http://www.glbtq.com/literature/renault_m.html (accessed 6NOV07); I would recommend this–and indeed all of her mature period novels–for high school on up. The Mask of Apollo is set about a generation later, and sets things up for her trilogy about Alexander the Great (Fire from Heaven, The Persian Boy, Funeral Games.)
Recommended for high school and up.
Customer Review: Perfection
I did not read this book, I devoured it…. In THE LAST OF THE WINE I walked through the ancient streets of Athens, I lived among her people, I loved, fought, and died beside them. It is that kind of novel, pulls you right in and never lets go. Even after I finished it, I kept going back to it again and again.
The message of this story is revelant even today. Who can not think of Iraq now, upon reading of foolish, proud Athens sailing off to destroy Syracuse?
A few thoughts on earlier reviews…. this book is an easy read, the prose is simple and straight forward. One does not need a deep knowledge of Greek history or language to follow this story.
