Mask of Apollo: Amazon.ca: Mary Renault: Books

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by Mary Renault

5.0 out of 5 stars (1) CDN$ 15.72

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Set in fourth-century B.C. Greece, The Mask of Apollo is narrated by Nikeratos, a tragic actor who takes with him on all his travels a gold mask of Apollo, a relic of the theater's golden age, which is now past. At first his mascot, the mask gradually becomes his conscience, and he refers to it his gravest decisions, when he finds himself at the center of a political crisis in which the philosopher Plato is also involved. Much of the action is set in Syracuse, where Plato's friend Dion is trying to persuade the young tyrant Dionysios the Younger to accept the rule of law. Through Nikeratos' eyes, the reader watches as the clash between the two looses all the pent-up violence in the city. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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13 Reviews

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4.2 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Life as art and art as life, May 30 2002

By	JLind555 - See all my reviews

One of the things that make Mary Renault such a great historical novelist is that she opens doors you never thought existed and gets you wanting to explore and learn more. I had to read several Greek plays in high school but they were always kind of ho-hum until Renault brought them vibrantly to life in "The Mask of Apollo" in the character of Nikeratos, an Athenian actor in 4th-century BC Greece who learns his craft from the ground up and brings us onstage and backstage into his world of great drama. Nikeratos travels from Greece to Sicily and back, acting in plays by such immemorial dramatists as Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and bringing life to his art and art into his life and the lives of those he interacts with. Parallel with the story of Nikeratos is the story of Dion of Syracuse, a real historical figure who successfully brought down the dictatorship of Dionysios the Younger, only to install his own dictatorship in its place. "The Mask of Apollo" brings to life historical figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Speusippos (an enigmatic character I would have liked to know more of) and many others that we only read about in history texts, and makes them become real and personal. She also makes us live in ancient Syracuse with its sights and sounds, its political intrigues and dangers. (Contrary to what one reviewer said, however, Renault gave only one line in passing to the Athenian defeat at Syracuse during the Peloponnesian War and the tragic aftermath; that was treated at length in "The Last of the Wine" but not in this book.) After finishing this book, I headed straight to the bookstore for a good translation of "The Bacchae" by Euripides, which I'd never heard of before Renault relates how brilliantly Nikeratos acts the leading role, and devoured it at one sitting. Renault does her readers a double favor: she not only gives them a gem of a book, she sends them on a treasure hunt to find some more.

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5.0 out of 5 stars the emotional connection, Dec 26 2001

By	Jack Kirven (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

there are many reviews of ms. renault's work here already, so i will keep this very brief: the reason mary renault is my favorite author is that she can bring the emotional and human quality of her characters to the surface. she makes these long dead people with strange names come alive. she gives them a quotidian life. she makes them human, and humane. true, her knowledge of the ancient greeks is encyclopedic. true, her descriptions are wonderous, but her deep empathy for the people in her novels is what separates her from other historical writers. she also handles homoeroticism/homosocial behavior with a sweetness and sensitivity that demonstrates the value of the delicate bonds that men should be encouraged to explore and nurture. her compassion for the human experience is sometimes overwhelming.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Mask of Apollo only good for the interested in greek history, Dec 19 2001

By A Customer

i thought the mask of apollo was a dull book that was hard to follow i was to read this book for a school project and although i am able to follow most books i found this one most strenous to read. I am not at all interested in greek history and was amazed at all the talk of homosexual affiars. I would not recommend this book for any child under the age of 18 who has no interest in histroy. i would recomend this book to children with devoted interest to history and who are good at reading comprehension and to adults who are interested in greek history.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A TIMELESS STORY
Mary Renault has vividly recreated the world of the actor in ancient Greece, set against a backdrop of love, betrayal, and war. Read more

Published on Mar 18 2000 by B. Morse

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and superb
I began reading Mary Renault's novels at the age of 17, having found her book about Theseus by chance in my school's library. Read more

Published on Mar 13 2000 by ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

5.0 out of 5 stars ~~A Genuinely Lovely Study~~
This truly is a novel written with patience and love - with a fascinating peek into obscure moments in the evolution of ancient theatre and philosophy! Read more

Published on Feb 13 2000 by A. Casalino

1.0 out of 5 stars WOW WHAT A BAD BOOK
the mask of apollo rates right up there with the rest of the crummy books i have had to read for school. Read more

Published on Jan 16 2000