The Mask of Apollo: A Virago Modern Classic
Mary Renault
Oct 2026 · Little, Brown Book Group · Narrated by Barnaby Edwards and Joan Walker
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15 hr 32 min
Unabridged
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THE ANCIENT GREEK STAGE BROUGHT THRILLINGLY TO LIFE BY THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION, PERFECT FOR FANS OF THE WOMEN OF TROY AND THE ODYSSEY
'Mary Renault has made the classical era alive' GORE VIDAL
'Her books have stood the test of time' INDEPENDENT
The artist flows into the mask the poet offers him; only so will the god possess him.
Greece, fourth century BC. The golden age of theatre may be over, but Nikeratos still lives and breathes the stage. Finding work with a group of travelling actors, he discovers amongst their dusty props an old, discarded mask of Apollo.
When a violent attack threatens the company mid-performance, the actors must go on: once the show ends, they know their lives are at stake. Seized by inspiration, Niko dons the golden mask and feels the powerful words of Apollo coursing through him - spurring the defenders to victory.
But Greece is racked by political struggles, and as his fame grows Niko finds himself caught in the crossfire, a pawn in a game of tyrants. And all the while, the mask gains power - becoming his conscience, keeper of his secrets and, ultimately, the maker of his gravest choice.
'To Mary Renault, we are all Ancient Greeks, and that is the secret of her novels' brilliance' CHARLOTTE MENDELSON
'Renault has few peers in the art of reconstructing and making utterly convincing the people and places of classical times . . . a superbly controlled performance' NEW YORK TIMES
'An important and wonderful writer . . . she set a course into serious-minded, psychologically intense historical fiction that today seems more important than ever' GUARDIAN
'Mary Renault has made the classical era alive' GORE VIDAL
'Her books have stood the test of time' INDEPENDENT
The artist flows into the mask the poet offers him; only so will the god possess him.
Greece, fourth century BC. The golden age of theatre may be over, but Nikeratos still lives and breathes the stage. Finding work with a group of travelling actors, he discovers amongst their dusty props an old, discarded mask of Apollo.
When a violent attack threatens the company mid-performance, the actors must go on: once the show ends, they know their lives are at stake. Seized by inspiration, Niko dons the golden mask and feels the powerful words of Apollo coursing through him - spurring the defenders to victory.
But Greece is racked by political struggles, and as his fame grows Niko finds himself caught in the crossfire, a pawn in a game of tyrants. And all the while, the mask gains power - becoming his conscience, keeper of his secrets and, ultimately, the maker of his gravest choice.
'To Mary Renault, we are all Ancient Greeks, and that is the secret of her novels' brilliance' CHARLOTTE MENDELSON
'Renault has few peers in the art of reconstructing and making utterly convincing the people and places of classical times . . . a superbly controlled performance' NEW YORK TIMES
'An important and wonderful writer . . . she set a course into serious-minded, psychologically intense historical fiction that today seems more important than ever' GUARDIAN
THE ANCIENT GREEK STAGE BROUGHT THRILLINGLY TO LIFE BY THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION, PERFECT FOR FANS OF THE WOMEN OF TROY AND THE ODYSSEY
'Mary Renault has made the classical era alive' GORE VIDAL
'Her books have stood the test of time' INDEPENDENT
The artist flows into the mask the poet o...
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About the author
Mary Renault (1905-1983) was born in London and educated at St Hughs, Oxford. She trained as a nurse at Oxford's Radcliffe Infirmary, where she met her lifelong partner, Julie Mullard. Her first novel, Purposes of Love, was published in 1937. In 1948, after North Face won a MGM prize worth $150,000, she and Mullard emigrated to South Africa. There, Renault was able to write forthrightly about homosexual relationships for the first time - in her masterpiece, The Charioteer (1953), and then in her first historical novel, The Last of the Wine (1956). Renault's vivid novels set in the ancient world brought her worldwide fame. In 2010 Fire From Heaven was shortlisted for the Lost Booker of 1970.
Mary Renault (1905-1983) was born in London and educated at St Hughs, Oxford. She trained as a nurse at Oxford's Radcliffe Infirmary, where she met her lifelong partner, Julie Mullard. Her first novel, Purposes of Love, was published in 1937. In 1948, after North Face won a MGM prize worth $150,0...
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