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The Last of the Wine

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 1,557 ratings · 87 reviews

In The Last of the Wine, two young Athenians, Alexias and Lysis, compete in the palaestra, journey to the Olympic games, fight in the wars against Sparta, and study under Socrates. As their relationship develops, Renault expertly conveys Greek culture, showing the impact of this supreme philosopher whose influence spans epochs.

Paperback, 400 pages

Published July 10th 2001 by Vintage (first published 1956)

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Jun 05, 2007 Siria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20th-century, british-fiction, historical-fiction, queer-lit

The Last of the Wine, although set in the ancient Greek world, like the Fire from Heaven trilogy, it's a very different work. Even though the three works of the trilogy have some fabulous characters, and some fabulous character development, the action and the spectacle of Alexander's life is just as much as big a part of the book. The Last of the Wine is very different. Although it takes place in Greece in the fifth century BC, the time of the great upheaval caused by the Peloponnesian Wars, and...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, favorites

I read this book for the first time in high school in 1999 when we were studying World History. I re-read it in 2010 and it is still one of my favorite books of all time. It's very historical and beautifully written. Overall it is incredibly brilliant.

I love ancient history, specifically Greece, so this book was a dream for me. The book is set in Athens, Greece during the time of the Peloponnesian Wars and follows the life of Alexias, a young Greek boy. We are able to experience Alexias' life,...more

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Oct 24, 2007 Jaimie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This books relates the story of the Peloponesian wars and the decline of Athens from the perspective of a young boy growing into a man. This in itself held my attention, but I found it even more compelling because of the historically relevent same-sex relationship between the protagonist and his best friend and lover. It was an eye-opening experience because it is the first and only book I've read with this type of relationship central to a story. It is never graphic, just tender and thoughtful....more

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Mar 12, 2013 Jon rated it 5 of 5 stars

The best evocation of the ancient world I've ever read--or at least a small part of the ancient world for a particular 25 years. The story is told by Alexias, who grows from a small boy in Athens to a very mature and experienced man of about 30, who at the close of the book is about to see his well-loved Socrates put to death. As far as I can tell, Renault gets everything right, every prejudice, every detail of geography, every detail of history. She has reconstructed Athenian life, reflecting o...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I tried to like this book. I really did. After all, I remember being thoroughly engrossed in author's "Persian Boy" years ago. But I gave up on Wine after 50 pages. the problems for me were:

1. Had to stop and look up too many things: which characters existed in history, what some customs were (like the Herms placed in front of homes), words such as Helots, Demos.

2. Had to read slowly in order to decode sentences. In dialogues between two people, Renault would write the conversation in one paragr...more

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May 22, 2010 Surreysmum rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1992, homoerotic-fiction-by-women, historical-fiction, owned

[These notes were made in 1992:]. A homophile friend of mine long ago recommended Mary Renault, and I picked up one of her books - The Praise Singer, I think - and did not greatly enjoy it. But this one fully justified my friend's praises. If the reading of it had one drawback (and it was my failure, not Renault's), it was that my background in Greek literature & history is not strong enough to experience the full deliciousness of her reinvention of the characters of Athenian and Spartan his...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Noel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

From the first sentence this novel has easily become my favourite. I made it a tradition to read it each year and have done so now for the 15th time. Some may call it obsessive, but I have to say that each time I read it I found something new in it that made me reflect on life in a different way. You can not read a book and expect it to change your life, it will change your life at precisely the moment you need it. "The Last of the Wine" has done that for me over and over again.
First of all it i...more From the first sentence this novel has easily become my favourite. I made it a tradition to read it each year and have done so now for the 15th time. Some may call it obsessive, but I have to say that each time I read it I found something new in it that made me reflect on life in a different way. You can not read a book and expect it to change your life, it will change your life at precisely the moment you need it. "The Last of the Wine" has done that for me over and over again.
First of all it is my desire to impress on potential readers that you don't have to be gay to like the story. From my perspective it has never been a gay book even though some would like to force it into this category, but it is a book about an ancient culture when relationships between men were approved by society, when in theory it was meant to be about much more than just love and desire. The main characters would never consider themselves "gay" as we define the term today, it is a completely different concept.
The book is about society, seen from the point of view of a young man who from his first breath didn't seem to fit in, being ugly, weak and unappreciated by his kin. A boy, who is humble, modest and compassionate. The story tells us how he is being tossed into the fire and bent to become a decent Hellene: handsome, successful, brave and sometimes even cruel.
It leads us to understand how all our good intentions may be cast aside with the change of circumstances, how we as humans may think ourselves better and then do unto others what has been done to us.
Honour is a big issue in the novel, because it was a big issue in those days, the honour of an upright citizen of Athens. Is honour what others think of us? Will it be lost if an insult is not avenged? Or is it simply the consequence of what we do or neglect to do?
We follow very well pictured characters, many of them based on historical figures, through their struggle with a complex society, a net of political intrigues, a war that in the end will shatter faith in human reason.
For all those who do not think pink it will be quite a revelation to see in print, from a more distant perspective than their own, why Democracy can be just as dangerous and unjust as a Tyranny.
It is depressing, intoxicating, intriguing and at times even hilarious.
Personally, I felt every moment of it.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2011 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

"The Last of the Wine" examines the Peloponnesian war through the eyes of fictional Alexias. A student of Sokrates and friend of Plato, Xenophon and many others well known to us through the annals of history, Alexias is a well-to-do young man with an interest in philosophy as well as soldiering.

Renault has clearly researched the period and captured the social mores, Athenian daily life, etc., in splendid prose. Her dialogue feels a trifle stiff, but this may have been a function of trying to cap...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Rob Atkinson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Truly marvelous historical fiction set in Greece during the Peloponesian wars, narrated in retrospect by Alexias, a citizen of Athens. The novel works on many levels, evoking the ethos, the politics, and the philosophic ferment of late Classical Athens, but anchored by the very human, evocative and ultimately tragic story of love -- that of Alexias for his friend Lysis -- at its center. Legendary figures like Socrates and Alcibiades are convincingly wrought as flesh-and-blood characters, and eff...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Jenna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mary Renault is a master of the ancient world and really knows what she’s doing. I just loved her trilogy on Alexander the Great and was enthusiastic when I started reading this, and kept it up through the entire novel. She recreated ancient Athens in a way that I really felt like I was transported back in time. Even the relationship between Lysis and Alexias was very Greek, even though I as a reader really wanted more romance, which if done would have given it modern ideals.

There was one thing...more

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Jul 29, 2009 Nimble Knitter rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book when I was in high school and it had a tremendous impact on my life. I was already interested in history and this really focused my attention on the Hellenistic period of Greek history. I moved on to the Alexander trilogy immediately after as well as several others. I even talked my western civilization prof in college into accepting a book report of this book because it was listed in the suggested reading of our textbook.

Her writings led me to a lifelong fascination with ancien...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Adam Dunn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt

This book was a lot of work, the most challenging book I've read, but it ended up being worth it.
I read this for a book club and if I had of been reading it on my own I probably wouldn't have finished it. I'm glad I did.
Before reading, I was advised to brush up on my Greek history. I have no idea where one would do this. I've never studied Greek history and knew nothing, nothing, going in.
I've never before read a book where you have to take notes, I've always kind of believed reading to be for p...more This book was a lot of work, the most challenging book I've read, but it ended up being worth it.
I read this for a book club and if I had of been reading it on my own I probably wouldn't have finished it. I'm glad I did.
Before reading, I was advised to brush up on my Greek history. I have no idea where one would do this. I've never studied Greek history and knew nothing, nothing, going in.
I've never before read a book where you have to take notes, I've always kind of believed reading to be for pleasure, not work, and that the author has a responsibility to perhaps provide more clarity. But with the historical framework in place for this book and the constraints around accuracy, I think Renault did a fantastic job and if I had it to do over again, I would take notes.
I read the first 70 pages or so understanding very little and was expecting to hate the book, but suddenly the clouds cleared and I started to understand. There were periods where the lack of understanding came back, I still don't understand why people were exiled at the end fully, but there was a lot there. The fantastic precursor to the Olympic games, the starvation of the town, the implicit relationship between the hero and Lysis, all fantastic points in the book and overall the book really I feel gave me a foundation for Greek history that I'd like to now build on. It was great spending time in this far away, long ago world.
The book is very lyrical, the following passages stood out for me:
"Time and death and change are unforgiving, and love lost in the time of youth never returns again."
"Nor do I fear death as an evil, more than one fears sleep after a full day."
"Old sock, meaning that he would fit on either foot"

This book is not for everyone, it required work and took me about 3 weeks to read it.
The book is not perfect, it was published in 1956 and a few of the elements are dated to the period it was written. For example, the war is very black and white, Athens is good, Sparta is bad. Although the homosexual aspects of the book are everywhere, they are couched in discreet phrasing. When one of the characters swears, he doesn't say the words but rather refers to "I said something I shall not repeat here". Sex is all implied. I think these things all speak to the period the book was written and the British upbringing of the author.
These are not really flaws though. There's quite a lot going on, a lot to take in, and a lot to take away.
I still feel the book could have been a little more clear, and the pacing was a little uneven, so four stars.(less)

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Feb 21, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

The life and world of Socrates, framed by the experiences of one of his students. Not one of Renault's most famous, but as usual I enjoyed how immersive the reading is, and how she doesn't bother to explain cultural touches that her protagonist wouldn't have seen as worth explaining (for example, a passage where he notes a friend of his had only been with women, and he wanted to ask if he wasn't interested in youths...but didn't want to offend him). As common with her books, female characters ge...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Gavin Stephenson-Jackman rated it 3 of 5 stars

A very difficult read. Mary's writing style is very scholarly and not as flowing as one might expect from a more contemporary author. I'm thankful that I read some other Greek comedies and such in high school. It is also good that I still remember some of my ancient history. I at least have some knowledge of the Peloponnesian wars and the animosity between the Athenians and the Spartans.

The love between Lysis and Alexis is evident throughout the novel even though there is really no expression of...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Chase rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, historical-fiction-gay

Throughout the novel I felt as though I was missing half the story because I was not moved to look up all the historical references that are peppered throughout the book with little to no explanation. Add to that the strange formatting of quotations in to one long paragraph with unclear demarcations to indicate who is speaking to who and the book became a serious slog about halfway through. I stumbled on this book mainly because I enjoy m/m stories and had really enjoyed The Charioteer but ultim...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story is set in the Athens of Sokrates, and narrated by Alexias, a fictional character. It gives an excellent portrayal of life at that time, in particular, the romantic relationship of Alexias and Lysis. All the relationships portrayed in the novel -- between Alexias and his father, his step-mother, and his sister -- are done well, and one really understands why the young men were so taken with Sokrates. I found some of the politics and warfare a little dull, but I wept at the end (won't sa...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Oz Barton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Short review: This is one of the best books I've ever had the privilege of reading.

Long review:
I put off finishing this book for a long time — years — but only because I love the characters so deeply, and based on the book's sad opening, I was afraid of a sad ending. Normally this wouldn't cause me to hesitate, as I like sad endings, but in this case, I was so incredibly attached to the characters, I couldn't bear the thought of it.

And the characters are, for me, the absolute heart of this book....more Short review: This is one of the best books I've ever had the privilege of reading.

Long review:
I put off finishing this book for a long time — years — but only because I love the characters so deeply, and based on the book's sad opening, I was afraid of a sad ending. Normally this wouldn't cause me to hesitate, as I like sad endings, but in this case, I was so incredibly attached to the characters, I couldn't bear the thought of it.

And the characters are, for me, the absolute heart of this book. I love them in a way I rarely come to love fictional (or fictionalized) characters. Alexias and Lysis, each fascinating and inspiring individually, are adorable together, the sort of couple that makes me hopeful about relationships in general. Their dedication to constantly pursuing a higher standard of behavior makes me want to be a better person myself. And of course, I now have a nagging fascination with Xenophon, Socrates, etc.

My only complaint about Wine is how much of the story is about the war, with all the politics and battles and state-level dramas. When I'm in the mood for that sort of thing, Renault is fantastic at it — but when I just want to know what's going on with Lysis and Alexias, the latest exploits of Alkibiades are less than satisfying.

There are a great many tragic moments in this book, many of which are not stated directly but are left for the reader to apprehend for him or herself. I loved this, because it made me almost a participant in the story.

The language is thick and not easy or fast to read, but while I often found it challenging, there was never a sentence that wasn't worth deciphering, in the end. Frankly, the language is beautiful and extraordinarily poetic. I can see how the forcefully slowed pace could be annoying, but as I said, I was in no hurry to finish for another reason, and the language's intricacy gave me something to savor.

Another criticism I've seen of this book is the deluge of references to ancient Greek culture and historical events. Personally, these barriers were not a great hindrance to the story itself for me. Maybe I had just barely enough background knowledge that it wasn't an issue for me; I don't know. But it's given me not only a lengthy list of people, places, events, and cultural trivia to look up and study in more depth — it's given me a reason to care about these things. This book is the reason I'm taking the time to learn more about Socrates, Sparta, the Peloponnesian War (which I still know almost nothing about), the Persian Empire, and the economics of ancient Athens. It's the reason I'm now re-reading Homer and Aristophanes and, yes, enjoying a fresh, lively new perspective on them.

And when I've done more research on these topics, I look forward to re-reading Wine and getting a new perspective on that, too.(less)

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Feb 11, 2011 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any adult interested in ancient Greece.

This historical novel follows the life of Alexias, a young man who has the unenviable fortune to be born during the declining years of Athens. Lots of tragedy, but on the other hand, he does get to be a student of Socrates. On the other hand still, we all know how that ended.

Some of the events in this novel are extremely heart wrenching. What drives the dagger further into the chest is the knowledge that Mary Renault did her research, and you can have some confidence that it really happened the...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 24, 2011 Ronald Wise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Historical fiction from the end of the 5th century BCE, where the main character is fictional but living in Athens among actual people during actual events. I had read Renault's The Persian Boy in 1980, after it had been recommended to me when I was coming out of the closet. For me both were a stimulating mix of gay romance and detailed ancient history. This novel came to my attention from the seasonal reading list librarian Nancy Pearl compiled for the Summer of 2004.

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Jul 07, 2012 Dave Thome rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found this book, in a word, dispassionate.

I slogged through it only to honor the place it holds in my own personal history - it was the first book suggested for me by my first lover when I was a young man newly arrived in New York City - primarily, I'm sure, because of the protagonist's, Alexias, same-sex relationship with his best friend, Lysis. At the time I thought myself, at best, unsophisticated, and at worst, stupid, because of the trouble I had getting through Renault's awkward phrasolo...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not up to my favorite (The Bull from the Sea) but a good read. The action takes place during the time Socrates was teaching in Athens, and Athens was at war with a lot of other city states, primarily Sparta. The beautiful Alexias is courted by many, but finally makes a liaison with Lysis who becomes his friend, comrade in arms, and lover (delicately suggested). The map at the front of the book was invaluable. The paragraphing was atrocious.

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Aug 03, 2011 Justin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this for a class on Greek history and culture. The professor thought this would help to gain an understanding of how society was structured (particularly in regard to pederasty). I walked away with an understanding of Renault's interpretation of Greek society and culture, so where the two overlap I suppose it was successful. The story itself was interesting, but lacked flair. I found it to be a dry, but enjoyable, read.

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Jun 18, 2009 DoctorM rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites, historical-fiction

I assigned this book to Western Civ 101 students all through my teaching career. It's a clear personal favourite. Renault looks at the end of the great war between Athens and Sparta and the collapse of Athenian democracy and Athenian power. Beautiful, spare, austere writing, finely-crafted characters, and a heartbreaking love story as well. Renault wasn't afraid a generation ago to see that the love story would have to be same-sex, and to depict a world where her young hero would find an older,...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Jaden rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, historical

"The Last of the Wine" will always be one of my very favourite
books by Mary Renault. It combines so many good aspects and
characteristics, that it'd be a shame not to be read and fully
appreciated for what it is.

An incredible creation of fiction, but with such historical essence
and insight in the ways of ancient Greeks, that moves historical
literature on an entirely new level.

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Oct 01, 2009 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was really impressed with the amount of Greek culture that was in this book. Mary Renault had a great understanding of their history and culture, and was really able to infuse it well. Nevertheless, that didn't change the fact that this was a pretty dull book. Yes, it was the tale of two friends over years of their lifetimes, but because of that, it lacked flow. When she wanted to move from one major event to another, there was a lot of dull exposition between the two.

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Apr 18, 2010 Madeline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: queer, historical-fiction, westernish-canon, coming-of-age, essentials, family, 2010, love-story, books-about-books, grief, novels

Maybe because my knowledge of the Peloponnesian War is quite sketchy (most of it comes from, um, this book) but the thing about The Last of the Wine that sticks with me most is how much of his time period Alexias is. Although he's something of a rebel compared to his fellow Athenians, he never feels like a modern transplant. I admire this, because historical fiction often has trouble navigating the waters where the Sea of Anachronism meets the Ocean of Sympathetic Characters. This being a book c...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Stuart Lutzenhiser rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Set in and around 400 BC at the fall of Athens to the Spartans. Socrates, Plato, and Xenophon are all shown as they move with the fictional Alexis as he comes of age during the Athenian invasion of Syracuse with Alchibiades and then he serves in the navy at Samos. Really great novel. I loved it.

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Nov 01, 2009 Chantelle marked it as to-read

Shelves: abandoned

This seems to be a good book, but I found that I was only half-reading it and that it didn't really catch my attention. I believe this is because it is set in a period that I have no knowledge about, so it was hard for me to identify with the characters and time period. I think I'll try to pick it up again in the future, though.

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Mar 13, 2012 R.J. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For anyone who enjoys classical history, and specifically that of Ancient Greece, the works of Mary Renault are priceless. The Last of the Wine does not disappoint with its vivid description of Athenian daily life, sporting competions, friendship, love and war.

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Dec 09, 2010 Geoffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

A look back on the ins and outs of living as an Athenian in ancient Greece. The only thing that keeps this from being 5 stars is rather protracted descriptions of military history, which I found to fill the book, rather than enhance the story. Still a great read.

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About Mary Renault

Mary Renault
AKA Eileen Mary Challans

Born: 4-Sep-1905
Birthplace: London, England
Died: 13-Dec-1983
Location of death: Cape Town, South Africa

Father: Frank Challans (physician)
Mother: Clementine Newsome Baxter
Sister: Joyce
Girlfriend: Julie Mullard (life-long companion)

High School: Clifton Girls School, Bristol, England
University: BA, St. Hugh's College, Oxford University (1928)
Medical School: Radcl...more

More about Mary Renault...

Books by Mary Renault

The Persian Boy (Alexander the Great, #2)

Fire from Heaven (Alexander the Great, #1)

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