WL's Mainstream Gay Book Reviews - 50. The Persian Boy (Book 2 of Alexander the Great Series) by Mary Renault

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/67700

Among all the books that I have reviewed, all the classics and the modern epics, Mary Renault’s classic The Persian Boy is my favorite. Why do I love this book above the 1^st or 3^rd books in the series? Why do I love this book more than other classics written by gay fiction writers of renown? First, it’s a historical gay romance, which is unique especially for a book published in 1972. Second, it’s a 1^st person narrative versus the other 2 books in the series, which may not allow as much flexibility in terms of understanding emotions or thoughts of others in exactness, but it does offer unique perspective from its titular character. Third, it is the first time I have ever read a MMM novel, essentially a love story between 3 men: Alexander, Hephaestion, and Bagoas from the perspective of the junior partner in the relationship with all the jealousy and love-hate between Bagoas and his rival Hephaestion. Mary Renault brought to light wonderful characters and setting in this book. I felt like I was standing besides Alexander the Great as the story unraveled detailing distant lands and wars hard won, I understood now why Julius Caesar wept at Alexander’s monument and why so many men of great accomplishments feel small besides him. As a modern gay man, I can relate to all the gay characters, who rise beyond all odds and are now legends worthy of this massive epic.

Length-wise, it is 432 pages long and 19 hours 57 minutes on Audible. This is a true epic at 129,168 words, so I do not advise readers to take the challenge of reading it lightly. It’s a book that should be enjoyed over a week, maybe on vacation on the beach in the summer or a ski lodge in the winter.

Plot: Bagoas was a boy born of minor Persian nobility. When he was 10 years old, the current king of Persia had died and his father, supporting a rival claimant to the throne, was betrayed and assassinated by a trusted friend. While most of his family was murdered, a soldier saw the young boy and kidnapped him. He was sold to a slaver, who had him castrated to be sold as a household slave. He spent much of his youth being a house slave at first, then as the fortunes of his master soured, he became a pleasure slave, sold to other Persian men for sex, until he was sold to the current Persian king, Darius III, who became his new master and sexual partner. At around 16 years old after the defeat of Darius’ forces and the inevitable fall of Persian Empire, Bagoas is presented to Alexander, King of Macedon and Greece, and entered his service. Bagoas noticed that Alexander and Hephaestion were already in an intimate relationship and sulks over his inability to have Alexander’s heart. However, through several events and encounters, Alexander does engage in sexual intercourse with Bagoas, despite Bagoas being a Eunuch. While Bagoas respected Hephaestion as Alexander’s partner in war, administration, and their deep bond akin to marriage, it was a complicated relationship. During the same period, Alexander began making reforms, trying to incorporate Persian customs and their military into his own forces. This resulted in several betrayals and assassination plots orchestrated by certain Greek and Macedonian elements in his army. Alexander defeated all his detractors and retained the devotion of his army as he marched eastward. Nearing India, Alexander also married his first wife, a Bactrian (present-day Afghanistan/Pakistan) noble woman named Roxanne, who is depicted as a cunning and ruthless woman. She attempted to kill Bagoas with poison as it was the custom against royal favorites, like Bagoas, which adds a strain to her and Alexander’s already rocky political marriage. The story continues to describe Alexander’s conquest of Northern India, crossing of the vast desert, and his desire to be a “Great King”, worthy of divinity. Bagoas remains by his side through it all, including the death of Hephaestion, which left a void in Alexander that he could never fill. The novel ends with death of Alexander and the beginning of the infamous of Wars of Succession between all the claimants to Alexander’s throne.

Review: This is what I believe a gay historical epic should be. The story was realistic, but dared to dream of something greater than what was available even in the author’s own era. Mary Renault saw exactly what an ideal gay marriage could be with Alexander and Hephaestion, before we even had the glimmer of hope that such a thing would be possible among our community. She also saw complex relationships that we are only barely exploring in fiction today with polyamory in open-gay relationships through the lens of history's greatest gay power couple Alexander and Hephaestion, with the minor potential lover Bagoas. It's refreshing to read something original, even if it was written in 1972.

Beyond just the gay relationship, Napoleon Bonaparte once said that “In our time no one has the conception of what is great. It is up to me to show them”, his efforts pale in comparison to Alexander the Great, who defined greatness. Territories and empires will rise or fall, but culture and society continue far beyond mortal men. I loved the concept that Mary Renault used concerning Bagoas being the one to bear the “sons of dreams”, even if he was castrated and in a relationship with a man, who loved someone else slightly more. Alexander saw Bagoas as something unique and added to his own greatness by incorporating it. What Bagoas inspired in Alexander was the dream of a global culture, where the belief systems, languages, and peoples of all the known world could be united. Yes, it was created through war and struggle, but Alexander’s first goal was to be unifier, before a warrior.

In today’s world of small-minded men and women, who only see nationalism and ideologies like the petty Greek philosophers and demagogues, the villains of this epic, The Persian Boy is a call to aspiration and inspiration for unity. Mary Renault criticize Athenian idealism and Democratic concepts (already provocative as her arguments against such things are coming true with polarization and factionalism in Western world) as being faction-oriented and ultimately destructive to the very cause that it desires to empower. There are things in the novel that should give modern readers a lot to think about from the “Macedon First” mentality of certain leaders in Alexander’s army, who’s blatant racism toward non-Macedonians is harming administration, to Greeks elites vying to create fractures and creating false notions of liberty and freedom under the guise of Athenian concepts to divide the Alexander’s followers. You can easily see parallels to modern US politics and the dangers posed by both internal nativist threats and foreign agents, falsely proclaiming virtues of freedom, while playing their own geopolitical games. One would hope that a modern Alexander could come, who would use his force of will to silence the nationalist that harm national integrity and eliminate foreign demagogue from public discourse. If a nation wishes to be “Great”, it must seek to strengthen national integrity through national integration, not nationalism under a preset of one group or another just as Alexander did during his lifetime, creating a large multi-cultural army.

Beyond just modern correlations, at the center of the historic story, the characters are rich and complex. Bagoas isn’t just your stereotypical gay protagonist, who gets swept up by Alexander the Great. He’s got a complex background based on his Persian heritage, which is never forgotten throughout the book. He’s also not pure hearted or good person either, he’s jealous and envious of what Alexander and Hephaestion have with each other. However, despite contemplating killing Hephaestion himself, he loved Alexander to the point of understanding that Hephaestion was Alexander’s de-facto husband. Hephaestion for his part treated Bagoas respectfully and he even saved Bagoas’ life during their desert crossing by offering him water. I think in modern polyamory gay relationships, it’s quite hard to find a more realistic historical parallel between Alexander, Hephaestion, and Bagoas. Bagoas and Alexander shared love and attractions, while Bagoas tended to Alexander’s needs from dressing to eating to sleeping on time. Yet, in practical matters, Alexander’s mind and soul belonged with Hephaestion, who was his partner in the administration of the Empire and battlefield. These two men represented Alexander’s home life (Bagoas) and Work life (Hephaestion) partners, creating a dynamic that I have yet to find in other gay romance or historical fictions. Bagoas might be the side-boyfriend in the relationship, but Hephaestion does not appear to be jealous of Bagoas as Bagoas was of Hephaestion. As time passed, I think the two rivals actually grew to like one another. Personally, if this novel is historically accurate assuming all the theories pan out about their relationships, I think Alexander would have wanted Hephaestion and Bagoas to share a bed with him at some point.

Finally, the epic scope of the story is a brilliant catch all. Alexander the Great was bigger than life, but his actual features were plain and his height was quite small compared to other men in the book. He had the courage of a lion, a mind of a military genius, and a will of titanium, which he proves throughout the book with the man battles he fought against rival kings, rebels, and bandit armies that roam the land of the fallen Persian Empire. Alexander was also not merely a military leader, the book showcased how he ruled as a leader. He wanted to build and rule, not merely conquer and sack, his empire. Throughout the book, Alexander fights enemies abroad and friends close to his inner circle, including those who want to kill him, because his vision of continuation. He earned respect from his conquered peoples by accepting and incorporating them into his nation, he kept peace with his own people by keeping their faith in him, and he kept the loyalty of the common soldier by treating them like close friends or family, including sitting by the bed sides of the injured soldiers after a battle and offering to pay off their debts. From Bagoas standpoint, Alexander was a master of leadership and truly a character that deserved "Great" as an honorific.

I have nothing negative to say about this book, I loved it far too much to find fault with it. I know some of the story is conjecture and the only thing on record about Bagoas being Alexander’s lover was a famous kiss, unlike Hephaestion, who was more stated by many ancient sources as Alexander’s lover/pseudo-husband.

My Review: 5 out of 5, I just love this story too much and can praise it for far more than what I have written here.