The Bull from the Sea: A Novel

again a good interpretation oof legend and a good description of a period and culture

I found Mary Renault about 60 years ago, when I was a teenager, and I loved her books. Recently I decided to re-visit the Theseus series, and found it as fascinating and convincing as ever. In fact, I suspect I got more from it this time around, based on my own life experiences in the interim! There are aspects which might jarr slightly on to-day's generation but she wrote in her time, not ours, about an infinitely older civilisation, and the stories are timeless. Both books are a very intelligent and well-researched take on the myths, making the people seem utterly real and alive. I'm so glad I had another look at them, and shall probably return to them yet again in due course.

I loved hearing about the ancient Greeks and meeting them in real terms. The descriptions of sights and sounds and smells brought the well known and imagined to life akin to the tales I know. Excellent dramatization and finely wrought characters. I will be purchasing the next one quickly and highly recommend it.

Hugely enjoyed this second part of Mary Renault's version of the Theseus story

This and the companion book The King Must Die are both a wonderful way to imagine life at the time of the Ancient Greeks. They are very fact based, but tell the story in a believable and realistic way weaving story and truth in a compelling narrative. I would recommend them to anyone wishing to know more about how people lived at this time and for a plausible account of how the story of Theseus could be based on real happenings.

Excellent read, get the whole series though.