I did not enjoy reading this novel but, as it is highly regarded and was shortlisted for the Lost Man Booker Prize list, I persevered. Mary Renault tells the story of the future Alexander the Great from childhood through to the moment he becomes king of Macedonia. The novel is at its best when Renault focuses on Alexander’s relationships with his family and friends, from his parents to his “companion” Hephaistion and tutors including Aristotle. There are also fine descriptive passages that imagine sacred rites and ceremonies. But, for much of the time, it gets bogged down in the politics, tribal rivalries and conflicts of the period, using Ancient names for countries, regions, cities and tribes without providing clues about who they are. (I’ve read about and studied Ancient History but who the **** are the Phokians? You shouldn’t have to be Googling every 10 minutes when reading a novel.) A map would have been useful, and maybe a glossary too. Having read Renault’s superior novel The Charioteer, about gay men in World War Two, I noted her distinctive style of inference, putting a great onus on a reader to pick up hints and nuances to decode what is going on, what she or her characters are talking about, and what their motivations are. At times, this lack of clarity is very frustrating. There are two sequels to this book but I can’t face them.