The Persian Boy Audiobook By Mary Renault cover art

The Persian Boy

A Novel of Alexander the Great

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The Persian Boy

By: Mary Renault
Narrated by: Roger May
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The Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexander's life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. Abducted and gelded as a boy, Bagoas is sold as a courtesan to King Darius of Persia, but finds freedom with Alexander the Great after the Macedon army conquers his homeland.

Their relationship sustains Alexander as he weathers assassination plots, the demands of two foreign wives, a sometimes mutinous army, and his own ferocious temper. After Alexander's mysterious death, we are left wondering if this Persian boy understood the great warrior and his ambitions better than anyone.

©1972 Mary Renault (P)2014 Audible Studios Ancient Historical Fiction Heartfelt Inspiring

Critic reviews

"Mary Renault's portraits of the ancient world are fierce, complex and eloquent, infused at every turn with her life-long passion for the Classics. Her characters live vividly both in their own time, and in ours." (Madeline Miller)

"All my sense of the ancient world - its values, its style, the scent of its wars and passions - comes from Mary Renault. I turned to writing historical fiction because of something I learned from Renault: that it lets you shake off the mental shackles of your own era, all the categories and labels, and write freely about what really matters to you." (Emma Donoghue)
Vivid Historical Details • Compelling Love Story • Excellent Reader • Complex Characters • Immersive Storytelling
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This book is stunning. I love historical fiction but this book takes the genre to the next level and then some. I found the world building truly incredible, rich, dense in the best possible way, and the character development something to behold. Alexander is such an exciting character and I found myself on wikipedia, almost as much as reading this book, to cross reference the historical facts with the stories and references in the book. I'm very interested in ancient Greece and this book brought me so many new and exciting stories and historical facts, simply mentioned in an offhand manner interwoven into the story, and they have inspired me to continue my reading and researching long after I'm done with this book. I discovered things like the Tyrannicides, wow-very cool. The amount of exciting events that happen in this book is astonishing and they will propel you at an alarming rate. I kept wanting to slow down to savor the book more but the story is rich with suspense and you will be desperate to see how events unfold, all the while keeping Bagoas and Alexander's emotional states in mind, as I said a stunning book.

The narrator is spectacular. He does the voice variations for all the characters in such a remarkably simple and effective way I'm sure he must considered to be at the top of his craft. He brought the pain and happiness to life perfectly and which such tenderness. I feel in love with Bagoas, the main character, within the first few chapters and his internal dialogue is so endearing and engaging I will truly miss his voice in my head.

I absolutely adored "The Song of Achilles" and while this is a very different book, and in some ways far superior, I was so excited to be back in a gay world in ancient Greece, which I have discover to be one of my favorite places to be. ;) I need to find some more and Ill next try Mary Renault's "The Last of the Wine."

I will add this book to my favorites "shelf" to be sure.

An author and narrator at the top of their craft.

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One of my favorite audible books I could listen to it over and over. I felt like I was there. Beautifully written and the narrator was perfect.

Absolutely captivating

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A true love story! Full of vibrant description of every moment...seen through the eyes of a boy.
stole my heart!

Amazing tale of Alexander the great. <br />

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The story is excellent and the narrator positively brings it to life!
Anyone with an interest in history will love this book.

Better than five

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A remarkable well researched story of power and unconditional love between two males of different status but equal in wisdom. One of the best recordings I have heard.

Power and love

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It took me far away to ancient exotic places. Only to learn that love, kindness and humanity have changed little in a thousand years. An absolutely beautiful story.

wonderful epic

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Every chance I got to listen to this book was an absolute treat. Not just as an escape, but because I could see myself in Bagoas, which is hard for a young gay man. It's rare one finds fiction with a gay protagonist/narrator that is truly well-written, and what's more, it has much to teach about history as well. It beautifully illustrates the presence of pre-modern same-sex love in one of history's most revered figures, as well as it's tolerance among Greek, Persian and Indian societies (all before the influence of Abrahamic religions). It's not treated as a focal point per say, but rather as a (well-researched) fact of life for our main characters. It's so rare to find that the novel almost felt like fantasy. Which I love. I only wish there was more.

Deeply Enriching

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The lost tale of Bogoas, beloved of Alexander. Even knowing how the story ends I found myself weeping. For though I had heard the tales in history class of the greatness of Alexander I had no true understanding at the cost to him. Mary Renault manages to take us back to those golden days and breathes life, wonder and beauty into what was dry and lifeless to me before.

I had no idea that Alexander had among him a much beloved companion and lover named Bogoas and now having heard this story long only to know the truth of what became of him once his beloved master left this world to join Hephaestion in the next world.

I don't suppose any of us will ever know such is the way of history but in this beautiful telling it lives and breaths and beckons us to walk among freely among the inner circles of legendary men and brings them to life for us to enjoy.

Love in a Time of War

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Interesting from the beginning and.loved the mixture of history and beautiful words!.that paint a picture of life in another time and place.

Such a Good Listen

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An excellent and interesting experience from start to finish. The Persian Boy's descriptions of people, places, and events are immaculate, shedding some light on some of the most important figures in history, as well as the epic journeys that shaped them. Our protagonist is not one of these men, he is a little known yet relatable and sympathetic character; who goes on his own journey, eventually influencing the events that would shape the world as we know it.

The performance by Roger May is fantastic and thoroughly engaging, as each character is given a voice of their own.

If you have any interest in Alexander and his empire, the lands and people he conquered, or the story of a loyal eunuch finding his true purpose, pick this book up.

Heartfelt Story on an Immense Scale

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