The Last of the Wine
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
The Last of the Wine
Buy Now for £18.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Barnaby Edwards
-
By:
-
Mary Renault
About this listen
Alexias, a young Athenian of good family, grows up just as the Peloponnesian War is drawing to a close. The adult world he enters is one in which the power and influence of his class have been undermined by the forces of war, and more and more Alexias finds himself drawn to the controversial teachings of Sokrates.
Among the great thinker's followers, Alexias meets Lysis, and the two youths become inseparable, wrestling together in the palaestra, journeying to the Olympic Games, and fighting in the wars against Sparta. On the great historical canvas of famine, siege, and civil conflict, their relationship captures vividly the intricacies of classical Greek culture.
©1956 Mary Renault (P)2015 Audible, LtdListeners also enjoyed...
We can see how Plato & Socrates diverged in their political views.
if you want to understand better the time period of history from the big issues to everyday life in 440BC, with a more human and realist approach, Renault has given us a method to absorb often dry heavy history in a sometimes gripping and digestible style.
Narrator does a good job, although he crafts the protagonist a little too milksoppish and effete for my liking.
Fantastic way to learn Greek History.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An authentic account of this period, and frequently moving even in its understatement.
Superb rendition of a brilliant book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
So why not 5 stars. The narrator is not quite top draw. Also, I thought that the first half of the book was a bit dull and maybe the writing style a little dated.
Sparta vs Athens, Sokrates, Alcibiades and more
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What did you like most about The Last of the Wine?
This book sparked my interest in Classical Greek history. Since subsequently studying the period in some depth the novel's greatest use is that it fleshes-out the various important events and characters and helps establish a mental map of the period. While Renault uses artistic license the actual bits of history taken from primary texts remain untampered (at least to my basic understanding). The novel certainly brings to life this amazing period and helps colour the fragmentary texts time has left us.What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last of the Wine?
I find many parts of the novel evocative, one example being the opening. Her imagery is powerful enough to engage all your senses so you can feel the morning air and smell the baking bread. Indeed, despite my numerous readings, the book still has the power to move me. For someone who had never visited Greece (so I believe), Renault does an amazing job taking the reader there. And as a bonus, all those terms you're never sure how to pronounce are rendered for you.What does Barnaby Edwards bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Undoubtedly, the fact he is so 'invisible.' He has the ability to give each character their own voice without putting himself between reader and character.Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I remember exactly when and where I was when I first picked up this book - RAF Gatow junior ranks mess, 1983. And the edition I was reading was a yellow covered one. (I've since bought other copies.) I was playing at the Berlin Musical Pageant at the time but the book had such an impact on me that the following year I composed an orchestral suite based on it. It remains the only decent piece of music I composed.Any additional comments?
As a young gay man in the military, the book probably had a greater appeal and fascination to me. The world of Alexis and Lysis was quite the opposite of the British military of the early 80's where we had to hide our sexuality and were subject to scrutiny if suspected. I like the fact Renault leaves the steamier side of physical relationships to your imagination and quite a few of my straight friends were able to enjoy the book without being put off by sexual details (gay or straight!) For me at least, Last of the Wine joins novels such as Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ode to Billy Joe and The Front Runner, all of which had a profound effect on me.An Unforgetable Novel
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Kάλλιστος
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This novel is absolutely peppered with people whose fame and philosophy has come to us from ancient times including Socrates and Plato.
Renault never fails to inspire
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Really good.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Meticulously researched, written in beautifully stark English, Renault brings to life a time and place long gone in a way that will make you smell the food, feel the cloth on your skin and make you swear that, yes, you have walked the streets of ancient Athens yourself!
Set during the Peloponnesian war, the story follows Athens’ struggles in that bitter conflict in a way that makes it more vivid than many current events. It also acquaints you with Socrates and his circle.
Is there no flaws then? Well, sometimes Renault’s Platonic concepts are a bit esoteric. But that is a very minor complaint.
Very nicely preformed.
A book to change your soul
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Expertly written and beautifully read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A classical journey
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.