The Persian Boy...

[fajrdrako]

Did I mention that my Bagoas icon is by the talented _ming? To whom I am very grateful.

At lunchtime, I started to reread The Persian Boy by Mary Renault. I know how I loved that book, but I haven't read it for a number of years, and what a treat to be immersed in it again. I remember how much I especially liked the beginning, the part about Bagoas' life before he met Alexander, about life in Persia. I had forgotten what horrible sexual abuse he underwent, but I remembered Oromedon very clearly.

I was reading again on the bus on the way home, and got so immersed I missed my bus stop and had to walk back a couple of blocks. It won't be the first time.

Among other things, I wanted to see (because I couldn't remember), how Mary Renault handled the language issue when Bagoas and Alexander met. This is something I was struggling with in the story I wrote. She had Bagoas already able to speak Greek, which he had learned from Greeks living in Susa. Is this plausible? Since she makes a case for a considerable Greek contingent in Persia, and in Bagoas' sphere of reference... I guess so. The more I think of it, the more unconvincing I think it is, but that's okay, she set it up skillfully and it removes a lot of story problems.

I can't use that route, though.

Comments

[lilithlotr.livejournal.com]

I think everyone on my flist is reading (or re-reading) Renault. It's been more than 30 years since I picked one up, and I'm not entirely sure I want to go there again! I've been studiously avoiding all the new LJ communities, even...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You have a strong will! I really can't remember when I last read The Persian Boy but I'm pretty sure I haven't read Fire From Heaven for thirty years. My intense pleasure in rereading The Persian Boy has me thinking I should reread the others... all the others.... Oh dear. So many fandoms, so little time.

But this is history which I suppose could be said to be my original and primary fandom.

Okay, that's cheating... and I know it... (g) ... Just enjoying myself too much to stop.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

It's not *implausible* that a highly educated Persian might speak Greek. Whether Bagoas had that level of education is more doubtful.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Since nothing much is known of Bagoas' background, we can only speculate. Mary Renault makes it plausible because even if I suspect a noble Persian of 13 or 14 would lack the incentive to learn a barbarian language by picking it up by listening to strangers. But I can buy it: Bagoas is exceptionally linguistically talented and even more exceptionally bored. It isn't a story problem in The Persian Boy and I wouldn't even be questioning it if I weren't faced with the same problem in my story - how to make Bagoas and Alexander able to communicate - and I can't find a way to make the Renault solution work for me.

What a wonderful icon you have!

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

Is it the "Vex" one you're looking at? It's one of my oldest and still my favourite. I explained it here:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/arysteia/36421.html

Good luck with the story!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I like the explanation of your Vex icon! And I approve heartily, of course. Lex is still the sexiest guy on TV.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

He *so* is.

I love friends of like mind... :-D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Good taste and all.

[medelle.livejournal.com]

Mary Renault geeks! *squees happily and jumps up and down*

I adore her stuff! I stumbled across it.... well, more years ago than I care to admit when I was in jr. high.

I now (proudly and geekily) have almost all of her stuff in first edition HC copies thanks to the wonders of ebay. :D

Do you mind if I friend you? I stumbled here via sparklebutch

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Mary Renault geeks!

Yup - isn't it fun?

Oh, please do friend me! I'd be delighted, and thanks to sparklebutch for pointing you here. Anyone who admires (and collects) Mary Renault books has got to be worth knowing. I discovered her works with The Persian Boy, which I got because I loved history and (at the time) was particularly intrigued by Persian history. I fell in love with her Alexander (and Bagoas) and thereupon read everything she ever wrote. I'm just not collecting her books again, since I have lost or given away many of them over the years - not I've always hung onto "Fire From Heaven" and "The Persian Boy".

[medelle.livejournal.com]

I think the first one I read was "The Last of the Wine". I know that has remained my favourite for all these years. I just love the imagery and the incredible way she paints the relationship btwn Alexias and Lysis.

And oh! The whole thing of Alexias finding out about Phaedo. His naiveti is so adorable.

Have you read any of her more "modern" ones?

And yes, the Persian Boy is a wonderful classic. Its my favourite of the Alexander trilogy. Thanks to it, Ive done tons and tons of research on Alexander (to the point where my husband wont watch anything on the subject with me because I wind up yelling at the screen. LOL)

Anyway, this is my very long winded way of saying consider yourself friended and well met! :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The Last of the Wine

I'm sure I liked it, but I don't remember it very well. Will reread.

Have you read any of her more "modern" ones?

Yes, all of them.

I yell at the screen all the time - isn't that what screens are for?

...Love your icon! So what about Green Lantern? (Hal or Kyle?)

[medelle.livejournal.com]

The Last of the Wine is worth going back and reading again, IMO. I think Ive read it probably about 20 times or more at least. I know Ive worn out about 4 paperback copies of it since I was around 16.

And I realize that yelling at the screen is what its for, he's just a silly boy and doesn't understand me getting riled up over a tv show. :D There was an Egypt special on TV the other day and the description alone sent me on a 10 minute rant. :)

Green Lantern - Im not sure - we never actually meet him in this one. Have you seen the American Express commercials with Jerry Seinfeld and Superman? If not, I'll send you the link and you'll understand my icon. :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The Last of the Wine is worth going back and reading again

Yes. Now I just have to find a copy.

There was an Egypt special on TV the other day and the description alone sent me on a 10 minute rant. :)

Is that the show about Rameses? I'd meant to tape it but didn't. Then remember that the last time I'd tried to watch a Discovery special about Egypt I had ranted, groaned, complained and finally walked away after ten minutes, able to bear it no longer. So I guess it's just as well.

Have you seen the American Express commercials with Jerry Seinfeld and Superman? If not, I'll send you the link and you'll understand my icon. :)

Yes, please do!

[medelle.livejournal.com]

Amazon should have a cheap copy of LoTW.

Yup, that's the show about Rameses. The description on my TiVo was something like "Evidence links Rameses to Old Testament". I sorta went off on it talking about what a stupid description that was. I was kind of like "OK, they have this theory - which may or may not be true, but is sort of half baked to begin with and they're using it to purport Rameses linked to Old Testament?!" Then I went off on a rant about how they need to be looking at the circumstances of death of Rameses FIRST BORN not just his first born SON because the Bible never distinguished male or female.

ANYWAY. See? Rantage. :)

Amex commercials are here (http://fjerry-digisle.sandpiper.net/media/Uniform_LAN_IV_LAN.mov) and here (http://fjerry-digisle.sandpiper.net/media/Hindsight_LAN.mov) (took forever to find it, 'cause the original links are dead, but theyre HILARIOUS!)

These are worth watching but don't really get into the whole Green Lantern joke, which is laid out in a couple behind the scenes clips. Basically Superman and Seinfeld are out doing their thing and Jerry's phone rings, its Green Lantern, wanting to talk to Superman. Superman doesn't want to talk to him and tells Jerry to make something up abotu why he can't talk. It goes on like that a couple times. Superman's always ducking Green Lanterns calls. Well, a friend and I were joking around one night that maybe Superman and Green Lantern used to be a couple and now they're broken up but Green Lantern can't handle it or something. :)

Yes, we're wierd. :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

There are various cheap tricks that TV shows pull when it comes to ancient history. One is to find something that has never been found, or to prove something new about a celebrity; another is to link it to the Old Testament. So if they can even wonder if they have found a new item belonging to Nefertiti and mentioned in the Bible, they've got it made! It doesn't even matter if the item is from the wrong century and they can't prove a thing....

Love the Seinfeld clips! Beautiful.

Superman and Green Lantern... Now, that's a slash couple I hadn't thought about.

[medelle.livejournal.com]

So if they can even wonder if they have found a new item belonging to Nefertiti and mentioned in the Bible, they've got it made!

Now that's not completely true. It has to have aliens attached to it as well. ;)

Superman and Green Lantern... Now, that's a slash couple I hadn't thought about.

We made up this long involved back story about them. Like they had this really bad break up, and now Green Lantern was stalking Superman, and how they were sort of the odd couple of Comics. Y'know, like maybe Superman was an anal neatnick, or Green Lantern got tired of hiding their relationship... :D

Like I said, we're weird. :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It has to have aliens attached to it as well. ;)

Ah - right. I forgot.

maybe Superman was an anal neatnick, or Green Lantern got tired of hiding their relationship... :D

Works for me! They'd fit like oil and water, or green Kryptonite and green magic - but there's a weird sort of fittingness about it. Being allied against those who worship evil's might and all. Actually, I think the characters that are pretty slashy in the comics right now are Superman and Batman in the so nicely named "Superman/Batman" comic that Jeph Loeb is writing. Beautiful sexy art too.