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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another find in Renault's Attic, December 20, 2003
"The Bull from the Sea" picks up from the moment "The King Must Die" ended, when Theseus returns from the destruction of Minoan Crete to learn that his father has committed suicide in his despair over his son's fate, and he is now king of Athens. The first chapters in the book seem fairly tame in comparison with the non-stop action of its predecessor, but the action picks up considerably with Theseus' invasion of Scythia and his battle with the Amazons and their queen Hippolyta, who turns out to be his soulmate and the one love of his life. When Hippolyta is killed in battle, Theseus is left with the legacy of their love, their son Hippolytos, and his other son, Akamas, by his wife Phaedra who he married strictly for policy, the sister of his first love Ariadne whom he abandoned at the end of "The King Must Die". Theseus's disillusionment in his sons and his betrayal by Phaedra reflect the growing cynicism of an aging king and shows us a sharply different Theseus than the intrepid young man of the first book. As usual, Renault's scrupulous research and her skill as a writer make her a joy to read; what makes me give this book four stars instead of five is its ending, which seems to be not so much an ending as a train wreck. It's as if somewhere in the last third of "The Bull from the Sea", Renault lost interest in her subject and just wanted to wrap the whole thing up and dispense with it. Perhaps the Theseus legend proved to be too much for one book, but not enough for two. Of all her historical novels, this one is probably her weakest; but when Renault is good, she is very, very good, and this book, while not her best, is very good indeed.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The other side of myth in "Bull", December 30, 2002
Mary Renault's "The King Must Die" presented the mythological hero Theseus as a cocky young man who leads a revolt, frees his fellow Athenian slaves, and becomes a king. In "The Bull From The Sea," Theseus confronts the rest of his life and the strange destiny foretold to him on his homecoming from Crete.Theseus's homecoming is marked by tragedy. His father Aigeus dies on seeing his ship come in with a black sail, thinking Theseus is lost. An old crone warns him, "Loose not the Bull from the Sea!" and, thanks to an encounter with a fearsome white bull imported from Crete, Theseus believes he's met the curse and dispelled any danger to himself or his reign. He attempts to settle down, eventually betrothing himself to young Phaedra, daughter of the dead king Minos of Crete. Unfortunately for Phaedra, Theseus's friend Pirithous (a wonderful scoundrel) leads him off on an adventure to the Black Sea. There, Theseus encounters Amazons--notably, their young leader Hippolyta, with whom he falls in love. And his life takes a strange turn, for better and for worse. Theseus continues to be cocky, but as the story goes along his tone changes; he becomes wearier, more cynical, with the passage of time and grief. Hippolyta is vividly portrayed, a grave young woman full of honor and bravery, who helps Theseus create a life in Athens that keeps his restlessness contained. When the Amazons come to reclaim their queen, Theseus and Hippolyta make a believable pair; the depiction of the battles are Homeric, thrilling and poetic. But when Theseus wins the war and loses Hippolyta, he loses a vital part of himself as well--the king is swiftly replaced by the adventurer. All the elements of the myth are accounted for. Pirithous's wedding feast and the battle of the Centaurs is like a train-wreck; we see it coming and can't look away for all the pain. So is the end of Oedipus at Kolonos. This is the most beautiful chapter in the book, and it foreshadows Theseus's end without giving anything away. Oedipus, the man who tried to outrun a curse, is the adventurer who also found a kingdom and lost everything in the end; Theseus, still young and powerful, is too horrified by what he must do for Oedipus to read anything into his fate for himself. But the episode of Hippolytus and Phaedra is the grimmest of all, a tangle of misunderstandings and lies that drives Theseus to curse his own son. That he justifies it to himself at the moment makes his epiphany later a bitter experience. The epilogue, if it can be called that, is Theseus's reclamation from that act, and his atonement. The final paragraphs, melancholy yet wistful, are a fitting end to this story of a man who longed to be a legend and became one, only to be tripped up by his pride in the end.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Remote Lives and Beliefs Come to Life!, October 25, 2000
First, let me take a moment to explain what this book is . . . and what it is not. Many people like historical fiction. To me, that genre means creating a modern novel that is set in an earlier historical period. It may or not not include well-known historical characters. The Bull from the Sea is not, by this definition, historical fiction. In fact, if you like historial fiction a lot, you may not like this book. Instead, I would describe what is done in this book as literary restoration. Ms. Renault has taken well-known stories about a famous Greek character and made them more accessible to the modern reader. By staying within what is known about the character, that limits an author's ability to create a modern novel. For example, if Theseus was idle for many years (as he was on occasion), Ms. Renault is stuck with that as part of her story. By contrast, a historical novelist could simply invent interesting things for such a flat period, and not have to worry about dealing with any story limits other than general credibility. Mary Renault has done an outstanding job of fleshing out the life of Theseus from the time he returned from Crete after escaping from the Labyrinth and became King of Athens until his death. We especially learn a lot about what kind of thoughts drove him as he united the Greeks, established law and order, and reformed religion. The ancient Greeks always seemed larger than life to me as a child. They were playing on a cosmic scale, with gods and goddesses lurking behind every bush. Often with little room to maneuver, they suffered from complications of the gods' preoccupations with their own quarrels. The fate of civilization always seemed to be in the balance. Yet these people did not seem real, despite their appeal. The story telling style of epics and plays leaves much to be desired for helping the modern reader understand the figures as people. Ms. Renault has done a skillful job of working within the outlines of those ancient tales and creating an understandable modern story out of them. For the first time, Theseus came alive for me in this book. There is a lot of interesting material to work with in this part of Theseus' life. He finds the love of his life (Hippolyta), marries another woman (Phaedra) to secure his alliance with Crete, and fathers two sons (Hipplytos and Akamas) who could potentially vie to succeed him. Anyone who has ever lived in a step-family will soon recognize the potential for complications. Theseus also liked to rove, and was often off acting the pirate. These tales make good adventure stories. He was a central religious figure, constantly balancing the older religion of the Earth Mother with the newer religion of the Sky Gods (like Apollo and Poseidon). There is also a split between women and men involved in this religious tension that makes for interesting reading. Although the gods make no more than cameo appearances (usually through causing Theseus to hear the sound of the ocean or be sick, or by omens), nature is a major character. Earthquakes and storms play an important role as irresistible forces that provide boundaries for Greek life at the time. If you are like me, the most valuable part of this book will be your increased understanding of leadership though considering Theseus' decisions and actions. Theseus has much talent for leadership, and is constantly striving to be a role model. He is as concerned about slaves as he is about barons, and his concern for public opinion rivals that of any modern politician in a democracy. Undoubtedly, there will eventually be a book on the management lessons of King Theseus. After you finish reading this book, stop to reflect on how your example and actions can make a difference in creating more understanding, communication, and cooperation. Then, go set that example! Enjoy a life of inspiring purpose!
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