The Last of the Wine
by Mary Renault · first published 1956
2mentions
2recommended by
2HN commenters
2021–2024first – last mentioned
100% recommend
The Last of the Wine is Mary Renault's first novel set in ancient Greece, the setting that would become her most important arena. The novel was published in 1956 and is the second of her works to feature male homosexuality as a major theme. It was a bestseller within the gay community.
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Foucault’s Pendulum (1988) by Umberto Eco. A novel about how easy it is to build meaning around the meaningless. The Last of the Wine (1956) by Mary Renault. Athens on its way to losing the war with Sparta. You know what’s coming for Athens, but the characters do not. The atrocity at Melos echoes through the whole book. Strong recommendation…
on “Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?” ↗I loved Durant. Mary Renault, The Last of the Wine. You won't regret it.
on “Sparta was more than an army of super warriors” ↗