Mary Renault
Born 4 September 1905 · Died 13 December 1983
Eileen Mary Challans (4 September 1905 – 13 December 1983), known by her pen name Mary Renault (/ˈrɛnoʊlt/), was an English writer best known for her historical novels set in ancient Greece.
Born in Forest Gate in 1905, she attended St Hugh's College, Oxford, from 1924 until 1928. After graduating from St Hugh's with a Third Class in English, she worked as a nurse and began writing her first novels, which were contemporary romances. In 1948, she moved to South Africa with her partner Julie Mullard, where she spent the rest of her life. Living in South Africa allowed her to write about openly gay characters without fearing the censorship and homophobia of England. She devoted herself to writing historical fiction in the 1950s, which were also her most successful books. She is best known for her historical fiction today.
Renault's works are often rooted in themes related to love, sexuality and relationships. Her books attracted a large gay following at the time of their publication, when few mainstream works depicted homosexuality in a positive light. Her work has had a generally positive reception by critics. She has received numerous awards and honours, both during her lifetime and posthumously. source
Quotes
“You can make an audience see nearly anything, if you yourself believe in it.”
The Mask of Apollo “A man is at his youngest when he thinks he is a man, not yet realizing that his actions must show it.”
The King Must Die “In hatred as in love, we grow like the thing we brood upon. What we loathe, we graft into our very soul.”
The Mask of Apollo “To hate excellence is to hate the gods.”
The Persian Boy, p. 400 “It is better to learn war early from friends, than late from enemies.”
The Bull from the Sea
Quotes from Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0), chosen with AI.
Books by Mary Renault in order
Books by Mary Renault in the order they were published, from Promise of Love (1939) to The Alexander Trilogy (1984).
- 1Promise of Love
Promise of Love1939 - 2Kind Are Her Answers
Kind Are Her Answers1940 - 3The Middle Mist
The Middle Mist1944 - 4Return to Night
Return to Night1947 - 5North Face
North Face1948 - 6The King Must Die
The King Must Die1952 - 7The Charioteer
The Charioteer1953 - 8The Last of the Wine
The Last of the Wine1956 - 9The Mask of Apollo
The Mask of Apollo1956 - 10The Bull from the Sea
The Bull from the Sea1962 - 11The Lion in the Gateway
The Lion in the Gateway1964 - 12Fire from Heaven
Fire from Heaven1969 - 13The Persian Boy
The Persian Boy1972 - 14The Nature of Alexander
The Nature of Alexander1975 - 15The Praise Singer
The Praise Singer1978 - 16Funeral Games
Funeral Games1981 - 17The Alexander Trilogy
The Alexander Trilogy1984