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

[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.