Comments on: Mary Renault

By: Linda Proud

Linda Proud — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:32:30 +0000

Hi Cynthia, so sorry I didn’t respond. I sometimes find blogs hard to keep up with, especially my own. I’m now deep in barbarism and sometimes find it chokingly brutal, other times really inspiring. I’ve had a lot of trouble with names and language, an enquiry which took me into new fields of linguistics and thoroughly undid any concept I might have had about ‘Celts’. Presumably by the 5th century it’s easier, with more on record? If I can’t hear my characters, imagination dries up, but I’ve found inspiring stuff on YouTube, young men pretending to be Gaulish bards, that kind of thing, but all helpful.
On this book I did the first draft in November – NaNoWriMo – and worked to 1700 a day. I can only do that in first draft. After that I’m lucky if I can write a paragraph a week, at least on that survives.
I wish I could ‘think through’ all the consequences of any choice made. But I can’t, I can only ‘work through’. I won’t go on since I think I’ll make this a blog entry – anything to avoid getting down to work this morning.
Your blog is great! But there’s no subscription button. I haven’t worked out how to link via wordpress either, but are you on Facebook? If so, let’s become friends and then, if you post your blog on Facebook, I’ll know when there’s a new entry. My Facebook address is http://www.facebook.com/lindaproudsmith
All the very best, Linda

By: Linda Proud

Linda Proud — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:16:59 +0000

Thank you so much for this, Penina. There’s something about Mary that lifts her head and shoulders above everyone else. I think it may be something to do with treating the past with respect, not judging it according to today’s standards and mores, but according to its own values. That’s what brings it to life.
She’s often mentioned in the same breath as Marguerite Youcenar and Zoe Oldenburg. Have you read either of those? I’ve just embarked on Oldenburg and it’s like a Russian novel with its wealth of characters – I need to make a bookmark list.
Dreaming in Minoan! Love it!
I’ll look out for your novels, too, since Native American culture sheds a lot of light on the European Iron Age.
All the very best,
Linda

By: Penina Keen Spinka

Penina Keen Spinka — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:05:04 +0000

I found your blog yesterday, following Mary Renault links on Live Journal’s Mary Renault Handmaidens, and just reread this page. I discovered her in 1960. My English teacher, Mr. Rich, thought I would like The King Must Die. Every you said about it was true. Theseus came alive and I began to dream in Minoan. I delayed giving his copy back until I located one of my own. It’s pages are yellowed and cracking, but I still have it.
I have since read all her ‘Greek’ novels and most of the ‘contemporary’ ones. I also have both bios about her life. Thank you for stating my feelings so well. I will look for your novels.
I have had 4 of my historical novels published. Since my stories happen in prehistoric America, my research gave me the same information as Cinzia8 above — that Native American’s didn’t kiss. It is hard to research such a topic, but it is a useful idea, as was the cannibalism of certain tribes.
I’m just concluding my many time rereading of The Mask of Apollo. I get more out of MR’s artistry every time I reread one of her novels. She has also led me to you, for which I thank her, as well as for opening my mind to historical fiction, new ideas, and how to live in a novel.
Best wishes,
Penina Keen Spinka

By: cinzia8

cinzia8 — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:17:20 +0000

A Gift for the Magus will be a well-timed gift (if not a bit ironic) to myself then. I look forward to reading it. Do you have a word count you have to maintain?

I was drawn to the 5th century by the barbarians. I taught a basic World History class for a few years and when I reached the Roman civilization, I was intrigued by the many tribes and how they interacted with and affected the direction that this great empire took. I had and people in general have many misunderstandings about the order and system of these groups. I began to research the tribes and found my way to Gaul and the Franks. Also, I wanted to write a romantic historical somewhat in the nature of Quo Vadis, where two fictional lovers are surrounded by real life historical characters and events. In America, it seems that a historical novel that has the romance driving the plot has to be a historical romance (which has some “rules”). I want to be part of a new term called romantic historical. I also have sex in my story because people have sex in real life. I actually had someone (considered highly educated) ask me if barbarians kissed. I responded with, “Yes, and they had sex too!” LOL If this is a chatty reply, forgive me. If you are in 1st century Britain soon, I’m sure you’ll be dealing with your own set of barbarians.

My blog is at http://cynthiaripleymiller.wordpress.com

Do you know how to link via wordpress? I haven’t figured it out yet.

By: Linda Proud

Linda Proud — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:26:21 +0000

Hi,
Thanks so much for your kind comment. Let me have the URL of your blog so that I can return the visit! My fourth novel, coming out soon, will be available on Kindle etc. in September. This makes so much good sense for readers in the US because UK postage is now phenomenally high – almost the same price as the book. So I intend to get the whole trilogy into that format by Christmas. We’re starting with A Gift for the Magus because it’s a prequel and so can happily lead the way. Have a lot of editing to do over this summer, though!
As it happens, my next book will be set in 1st century AD Britain. What appealed to you about 5th cent Gaul?
All best, Linda

By: cinzia8

cinzia8 — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 18:21:59 +0000

Linda,
I’m a HNS member and in the US. I stumbled into historical fiction via Mary Renault as well. What a wonderful homage you’ve written! I learned a lot. I’ve just completed a novel set in 5th century Gaul and have a more quirky blog at Historical Happenings and Oddities that I just set up. I usually haunt the 5th century (books, blogs, forums), but as an Italian-American the Renaissance period is also intriguing to me. Are all your books available on kindle?