Mask of Apollo, The MP3 CD – Unabridged, May 31, 2016

Both educational and intimate this Mary Renault shows the world of Greek culture and how theater captivated the politics of early Greek citizens. A page turner!

When I was writing the Tech Show (MIT) musical based on Euripides ALCESTIS, I asked my Professor of the History of the Philosophy of Science, Giorgio di Santillana, for advice. He referred me to this book as being a very accurate description of Hellenistic theater (the other indispensable source is Margaret Bieber's GREEK AND ROMAN THEATER). The actor-hero, on his travels with what we would call a touring company, is thrown into close contact with Plato (yes, that one) and his friend Dion, and part of the plot is a dramatization of Plato's famous Seventh Letter. That does not mean that the pace is anything but fast, or that the story is anything but human and sensational. Mary Renault was a very distinguished and exciting novelist, You may know her novel THE KING MUST DIE, about Theseus. If you want a good, fast-moving novel to read, this is it, whether you care about Plato or not. Did you know that when Plato irritated the tyrant of Syracuse, Dionysius, he sold Plato into slavery? Five stars.

This book is another of the masterpieces written by Mary Renault. Set in ancient Greece, it explores the role of actors of plays. She explains how, based on her exploration of those sources that were available to her, the theatre and actors functioned. She is clear about how little actual history she had to work with. I find her reconstruction of event 2500 years ago extremely plausible. The philosopher Plato is a significant character in this tragedy. As a student of philosophy myself, Ms Renault ' s characterization of Plato's views seems appropriate. It is a ripping good story. I have read it several times, and enjoyed it fully every time. I recommend it without reservation yo those interested in ancient Greece, Plato, a good story.

Mary Renault is a genius at creating historical novels of ancient Greece, whose lively protagonists have virtues mitigated by (still lovable) flaws. The protagonist in The Mask of Apollo is an actor about 20 years younger than Plato, whom he meets and whose school of philosophy intrigues him. For the reader, however, the pleasure of re-discovering Plato is just one of the many pleasures of this book. The real hero is Dion, somebody I never heard of before reading Renault, a wealthy noble of Syracuse who refrains from seizing power when it is offered to him... but I don't want to spoil the story for someone who doesn't know it yet. I strongly recommend this book, one of Renault's finest.

Not only has Renault caught the very essence of the period but her subtlety with the sexuality of the times and nuanced take on male bonding in general is simply breathtaking considering the era she wrote in. Her grasp of place and history is 2nd to none historically and unlike so many "scholars"around Ancient Greece she does so with elan and a gift for bringing it all alive. And its unquestionable part of being the singularly most important civilisation to have existed, as far as the Western World is concerned.She has given it the meat of everyday life to cover its historical bones. You can't ask more than that from a book.

Although this is a somewhat dated novel that treats homosexuality in a "don't ask, don't tell" fashion that would probably seem silly to people in the era it portrays, do not be daunted. First and most importantly this is an excellent study of the early days of Greek theater. Theater in Ancient Greece was not just entertainment, it was religious and cultural and to our modern eyes pretty freaky! The details in this novel are very accurate, and will greatly enhance any study of classical Greek theater.

Mary Renault was an English writer best known for her historical novels set in Ancient Greece. In addition to vivid fictional portrayals of Theseus, Socrates, Plato and Alexander the Great, she wrote a non-fiction biography of Alexander. If you have not yet read her work, do yourself a favor and purchase one of her novels... I particularly recommend either The Persian Boy or The Last of the Wine.

Mary Renault's affection for her subject is matched only by her superb style and her deep and wide ranging research. I first read this book some 45 years ago and have never tired of it. I'm a classical actor and teacher of actors and learned more about the essence of our profession from this book than from any other. Just stunning writing with great humanity behind it.