Mary Renault's The Last of the Wine

Mary Renault's The Last of the Wine

The Last of the Wine, written by Mary Renault and published by Pantheon Books in 1956, is a classical novel that is both historically informative and entertaining. It is a recreation of classical Greece during the Peloponnesian War, when Pericles was the leader of the city of Athens. The story is being told in the first person narrative by Alexas, an Athenian soldier who survives the war. He reflects on his childhood, his experiences as a soldier, and his society's reaction to the ravages of the Peloponnesian war. This was a time when the Spartans had the city of Athens under siege. They burned the surrounding farms, cutting off the food supply of the Athenians who sought refuge inside the city. Alexas recalls the hardships the Athenians faced and their gallant efforts to protect their city from Spartan invasion.

The main themes in this book are war, power, heroism, love, loyalty and growth. We are given further insight into the classical Greek society as Alexas reminisces about his family life, his training as an athlete, the Olympic Games, his homosexual relationship with his mentor Lysis, and his encounters with Socrates the Philosopher. The main characters seem dogged by guilt, loneliness or failure, often the failure to love. The book ends on a triumphant note, with the Athenians defeating the Spartans, and liberating their city from the corrupt politicians.

Mary Renault is an award-winning novelist who writes imaginative historical fiction. Her literary works center on the social, cultural and political ambiance of pre-classical, classical, and Hellenistic Greece. Renault "is mainly concerned with deepening and reconstructing myths for the purpose of describing contemporary prob...

... middle of paper ...

...leader to create a vision for our youths and our society at large. We are to examine our political institutions to see if they serve the interest of the people.

I can vouch for the authenticity of the information in this book. It is historically correct and can be corroborated by the textbook currently being used in my history class. The Last of the Wine makes delightful reading and will appeal to readers of all interests. Written in a style and language that is easily understood and appreciated, it bristles with excitement, adventure and heroic exploits. With all the foregoing in mind, I strongly recommend this book as a literary masterpiece.

Works Cited

ILandon, C. Burns Jr., "Mary Renault" in Gunton, Sharon R, ed., Contemporanry Literature Criticism. Twaynes Publishers Inc, 1969, 394-397.

2 Renault, Mary. The Last of the Wine Pantheon Rooks, 1956.