The Persian Boy (The Alexander Trilogy)

Deeply moving, and unfailingly historically accurate, this story of the young castrated lover of Alexander the Great is surprisingly educational in today's world because it talks about East and West. Through the eyes of "the Persian boy," we come to understand a gulf between mindsets that has not been bridged even to the present time. But you don't think about these things when you're reading Mary Renault's smooth and beautiful prose. You're swept up in the story and above all else, in her fully realized characters. Alexander the Great and his youthful brashness become completely real to you. You imbibe the history. That's how Mary Renault wanted it and she was marvelously accomplished at her task. You take away with you an emotional experience of this incalculably important period of time -- when Alexander through sheer will and conviction brought Hellenism, that is Greek philosophy and ideas to foreign territories all along the Mediterranean coast laying the ground for a way of life which we are still to this day enjoying -- and your comprehension of the sequence of events is forever deepened. Renault's The Last of the Wine brings to life ancient Athens in the same rich and unforgettable manner. Both are sad novels in a way, but sadness with Renault can be very sweet and very rewarding. Highly recommended. The best seller lists of today seldom include such literate and substantial and enduring novels.

I read this book when it came out (no pun intended) in paperback in the 70s. I was a child to love (sex, yes), female or male, then of 26 years. I reread it a couple of weeks ago and loved it. I am 62 now. It is a story of love, not sex, for that is irrelevant. The First Edition hardbound dust jacket has these lines. "Alexander is a man with little experience of sensuality, but a profound need of affection. Bagoas' famous beauty has been much exploited, but his affection has been needed by no one. Their meeting is irresistible to both." Whereas the first sentence is arguable, yet incapable of proof, if one imagines Hephaestion to be a sensual lover, the second is the crux of this beautiful tale of deep affection. Testicles do not automatically confer manliness, any more than their absence confers femininity. One can never doubt Alexander's manliness, yet his warring parents apparently wondered if his mutual obsession with Hephaestion, nay besottedness, was healthy for the boy. He/they were probably 15 or 16 years old then. Philip and Olympias even wondered if their boy was a "gynnis," that is, a womanish man. So that raises another irrelevant question: who was top or bottom? Or both? Maybe they were both "versatile" in modern gay jargon. But then, who cares?! They were men and therefore sexual and very into a lifelong love. As there are only five references to Bagoas in all of the third hand (at best) ancient sources, we shall never know. Therefore this sensual, beautiful, and tender NOVEL should be judged on it's own merits and not pecked to meaningless pieces by modern labeling crows. So now for a bombshell. I am going to write a sequel to The Persian Boy. No, I'm not insane, just a romantic dreamer who weeps unabashedly and procrastinates reading this book's last 50 or so pages. I don't want Hephaestion or Alexander to die so young. Who ever does? Could it have been plausibly different? What could (and should) have intervened (no time-travel, aliens or such absurdist cheap devices) to change their lives and all of western history forever? One very small thing could have. I have the vision, or perhaps a mad delusion. Whatever! I shall write it!

I'm not a big fan of Bagoas, but I really enjoyed reading this novel about the personal life of Alexander the Great from his triumphal entrance into Babylon until his death. The historical Alexander did indeed have a personal magnetism that inspired love in so many people. This novel fully explores that. Page 179 describes Alexander reading the Iliad to Bagoas and describing the love between Achilles and Patroklos, and Bagoas says, "He [Alexander] did not tell it with art, like the taletellers in the market, but as if he had been there and remembered everything. At last I knew where my rival [Hephaestion] stood, grafted into his spirit, deeper than any memories of the flesh.". Pages 328-329 describe what could have happened on the crossing of the Gredosian desert, when Hephaestion goes back to save Bagoas from death and asks Bagoas to look after Alexander. When Bagoas tells Alexander about it, the King says, "That is Hephaestion; it always has been."; and it was as if he closed again the curtain guarding a shrine." Pages 383 and 384 describe Alexander's grief after Hephaestion's death. "I [Bagoas] thought, He [Alexander] has rebuilt the legend in everlasting bronze. He will keep faith with it, if he lives to threescore and ten. Hephaestion's regiment is always to bear his name whoever may command it, just so he will be forever Alexander's lover; no one else will ever hear, "I love you best." "The Persian Boy" also describes the love and respect that Bagoas felt for Alexander, and that is very touching. I don't read many novels, but this one is worth the time and money.

There has never been a better telling of the life of Alexander the Great. Mary Renault draws you into the life of the warrior king, as seen through the eyes of his servant and lover, Bagoas, so deeply that returning to the 21st Century is a horrible shock.

Mary Renault's The Persian Boy is a masterful exploration of love, power, and cultural collision in the ancient world. As the second installment in her Alexander trilogy, the novel takes the bold step of shifting perspective from the Macedonian conqueror to Bagoas, a Persian eunuch who becomes both Alexander's lover and our intimate guide through the final years of his campaign. Renault's greatest achievement here is her nuanced portrayal of Bagoas himself. Far from a passive observer, he emerges as a complex character caught between worlds—Persian and Greek, slave and confidant, outsider and insider to power. Through his eyes, we see Alexander not as the mythic figure of history books, but as a charismatic, flawed, and increasingly isolated man struggling to reconcile his grand ambitions with the realities of ruling a vast, diverse empire. The novel excels in its rich historical detail and psychological depth. Renault's extensive research brings ancient Persia and the Hellenistic world to vivid life, from the opulence of Persian courts to the dust and blood of military campaigns. Her prose is elegant and measured, perfectly suited to the ancient setting while remaining accessible to modern readers. However, the pacing occasionally suffers under the weight of historical exposition, and some readers may find Bagoas's devotion to Alexander borders on the obsessive. The novel also requires some familiarity with the period to fully appreciate its subtleties. The Persian Boy stands as both excellent historical fiction and a meditation on the nature of love and loyalty in the shadow of greatness. Renault has crafted a worthy successor to Fire from Heaven that deepens our understanding of one of history's most enigmatic figures through the eyes of someone history largely forgot. Recommended for: Readers of historical fiction, fans of ancient history, and those interested in LGBTQ+ themes in literature.

No encontraba esta trilogía por ningún lado y después de años al fin la tengo. Estoy muy feliz, es una gran autora y la historia te cautiva hasta el final.

Libro stupendo! Incuriosita su Bagoas dopo aver visto Alexander (sia all'uscita del film nei cinema anni fa, e di recente rivisto come Ultimate Cut dove Bagoas è più presente) ho deciso di cercare qualcosa di più su questo personaggio, scoprendo così questo libro. Devo dire che è davvero bello! Bagoas è un personaggio particolare e interessante, peccato che a livello storico non ci siano molte informazioni al riguardo. Appena avrò la possibilità recupererò anche gli altri libri della trilogia di Alessandro.

Such a grand depiction of Alexander's adult life perceived from the perspective of a close friend and lover - thrilling. You will not be able to stop reading! Absolutely great.