The King Must Die
by Renault, Mary
The King Must Die is a 1958 Bildungsroman and historical novel by Mary Renault that traces the early life and adventures of Theseus, a hero in Greek mythology. Naturally, it is set in Ancient Greece: Troizen, Corinth, Eleusis, Athens, Knossos in Crete, and Naxos. Rather than retelling the myth, Renault constructs an archaeologically plausible story that might have developed into the myth.
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On May 3, 2012, wideangle_2000 said
I first read the sequel to this book, and couldn't rest until I found the first one. It was more than worth the wait. Ms. Renault's vivid descriptive ability literally makes this book come to life. The characters are so real you can almost believe you know them personally and the tale is completely captivating. It blends a mythological story with pertinent known facts and creates a tale which could easily have been based on truth. Theseus is grown from a child to a young man with all his larger than life qualities and adventures in ancient Greece, with pathos and understanding. You will never want it to end. Beautiful! I have probably re-read it 40 or more times, and would recommend it to anyone without reservation.
Available Copies
The King Must Die
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN
- Item Price
-
A$72.44
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Description:
New York: Pantheon 1958, 1st printing. (Hardcover) 338pp. Good to very good in good to very good dust jacket. The dust jacket is rubbed and edgeworn including closed tears and chips missing, the fore-edge is lightly soiled, and there are two previous owner's names in ink on the front free endpaper. "Out of legend… Read more about this item Item Price
A$72.44
THE KING MUST DIE
by RENAULT, MARY
- Condition
- Used
- Edition
- First edition
- Published
- 1958
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Greencastle, Pennsylvania, USA
- Item Price
-
A$536.62
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Description:
[New York]: Pantheon, [1958], 1958. First edition. First edition. Former owner's inked name and date on front free fly leaf, offsetting to the front endpapers from an old newspaper clipping, else a fine bright copy in a bright lightly rubbed dust jacket. Myth as historical romance set in ancient Greece and praised by many including J. R. R. Tolkien… Read more about this item Item Price
A$536.62
![The King must Die [with] The Bull from the Sea. THESEUS COMPLETE IN UNCLIPPED DUSTWRAPPERS](https://d3525k1ryd2155.cloudfront.net/h/277/128/1328128277.0.m.jpg)
The King must Die [with] The Bull from the Sea. THESEUS COMPLETE IN UNCLIPPED DUSTWRAPPERS
by RENAULT Mary
- Condition
- Used
- Published
- [1958-62]
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Thakeham, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
-
A$230.45
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Description:
Longmans,, [1958-62]. 2 vols., 8vo., Mixed Editions, with double-page map; cloth (blue/black respectively), gilt backs, a very good, bright, clean set in unclipped dustwrapper. With personal bookplate on front free endpaper of first volume. The set comprises: The King must Die (First Book Society edition, 1958); The Bull from the Sea (First Edition, 1962). Renault's acclaimed fictional recreation of… Read more about this item Item Price
A$230.45
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The King Must Die
by Mary Renault
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Orange, Virginia, USA
- Item Price
-
A$18.78
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Description:
The epic of Thesus, the boy king of Eleusis, ritually preordained to die after one year of marriage to the sacred queen but who defies God's decree and claims his inheritance--the throne of Athens Item Price
A$18.78
The King Must Die
by RENAULT, Mary
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Published
- 1958
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Gloucester City, New Jersey, USA
- Item Price
-
A$27.60
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Description:
New York: Pantheon, 1958. Hardcover. Very Good. Reprint. Very good hardcover has no dustwrapper corners lightly bumped and browned, text edges lightly smudged. Please Note: This book has been transferred to Between the Covers from another database and might not be described to our usual standards. Please inquire for more detailed condition information. Item Price
A$27.60
The King Must Die
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used -
- Edition
- Book Club Edition
- Published
- 1959
- Binding
- Hardback
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Clarence Gardens, South Australia, AUS
- Item Price
-
A$18.00
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Description:
London: The Reprint Society. 1959. Octavo Size [approx 15.5 x 22.8cm]. Very Good condition in Very Good Dustjacket. DJ protected in our purpose-made plastic sleeve. A nice copy. DJ spine a touch age-toned and spine ends a little rubbed. Book spine is also a little age-toned. Robust, professional packaging and tracking provided for all parcels.… Read more about this item Item Price
A$18.00
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The King Must Die
by RENAULT, Mary
- Condition
- Used - VG+/VG+
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Published
- 1958
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, GBR
- Item Price
-
A$144.03
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Description:
Longmans, 1958. 1st Edition. Hardcover. VG+/VG+. 1st Edition, 1st Printing 12.8 x 20.2 cm navy boards with gilt stamped titles to the spine, v [i] 373 [1]pp with original unclipped jacket priced at 16/-net. There is a little light marking to the boards with a hint of pushing to the corners and spine tips. There… Read more about this item Item Price
A$144.03
King Must Die, The
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Jacket Condition
- Not Applicable
- Edition
- Reprint
- Published
- 2001
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780141005393
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Buttaba, New South Wales, AUS
- Item Price
-
A$5.50
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Description:
London, England: Penguin Books, 2001. Book. Good. Small Paperback. Reprint. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. Small paperback, reprint, 218gms, 373 pages. Book is in good condition with minor general wear and tear and moderate to heavy page discolouration/spotting throughout, otherwise no other pre-loved markings.. Item Price
A$5.50
The King Must Die
by Renault,Mary
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Published
- 1964
- Binding
- Paperback
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
STREETSVILLE, Ontario, CAN
- Item Price
-
A$7.67
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Description:
London: Four Square / New English Library, 1964 Book. Very Good. Pbk. Fictional reconstruction of Bronze Age Crete and Athens, based on the legends of Theseus. Vintage copy. paper age toned... Item Price
A$7.67
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The King Must Die
by Mary Renault
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Published
- 2016
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Foster, Rhode Island, USA
- Item Price
-
A$153.32
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Description:
The Folio Society, 2016. Hardcover. Very Good. The Folio Society; London, 2016. Hardcover. A Very Good, illustrated boards and black cloth spine with white lettering on spine, binding firm, interior and extremities tidy, book appears unread, minimal handling marks, very mild stress crease to spine, trace rubbing to board corners, without Dust wrapper. In a Very Good, sturdy,… Read more about this item Item Price
A$153.32
The King Must Die
by Renault,Mary
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Edition
- First Pbk.Ed..
- Published
- 1967
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780553128673
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
STREETSVILLE, Ontario, CAN
- Item Price
-
A$7.67
Show Details
Description:
New York: Signet/New American Library, 1967 Book. Very Good. Pbk. First Pbk.Ed... Item Price
A$7.67
King Must Die
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Edition
- later printing
- Published
- 1981
- Binding
- Mass Market Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780553207064
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Monroe, Michigan, USA
- Item Price
-
A$12.25
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Description:
New York, NY, USA: Bantam Books, 1981 Very Good; clean and tight and square, no spine crease, corners and edges are slightly bumped and rubbed, pages have yellowed, inside is clean and unmarked, light crease along the spine on the top cover Item Price
A$12.25
The King Must Die
by Renault,Mary
- Condition
- Used - Good>Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- No Jacket
- Edition
- BCE
- Published
- 1958
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
STREETSVILLE, Ontario, CAN
- Item Price
-
A$15.33
Show Details
Description:
New York: Pantheon Books., 1958 Book. Good>Very Good. Hardcover. BCE. Fictional reconstruction of Bronze Age Crete and Athens, based on the legends of Theseus.. Item Price
A$15.33
Kings Must Die
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Published
- 1981
- Binding
- Mass Market Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780553207064
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Seattle, Washington, USA
- Item Price
-
A$11.53
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Description:
Bantam Books, 1981. Mass Market Paperback. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed. Item Price
A$11.53
The King Must Die
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Edition
- 11
- Published
- 1981
- Binding
- Softcover
- ISBN
- 9780553207064
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Almere, NLD
- Item Price
-
A$16.53
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Description:
Toronto etc., Bantam Books, 1981. 11. Softcover. Good. Item Price
A$16.53
The King Must Die: A Novel
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Edition
- Book Club (BCE/BOMC)
- Published
- 1992
- Binding
- Trade Paperback
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Webster, New York, USA
- Item Price
-
A$23.00
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Description:
New York: Book of the Month Club, 1992. Book Club (BCE/BOMC). Trade Paperback. Near Fine. 8x5x1. Faint edge wear to jacket. 1992 Trade Paperback. The story of the mythical hero Theseus, slayer of monsters, abductor of princesses and king of Athens. He emerges from these pages as a clearly defined personality; brave, aggressive and quick. The core of… Read more about this item Item Price
A$23.00
The King Must Die
by Mary Renault
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable/Acceptable
- Published
- 1958
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
-
A$19.20
Show Details
Description:
Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd., 1958. Hardcover. Acceptable/Acceptable. 1958. First Edition Thus. 373 pages. Pictorial dust jacket over blue cloth. Binding remains firm. Pages have light tanning and foxing throughout. Pencil inscription to front free endpaper. Small tears to some page edges, text remains unaffected. Boards have light shelf-wear with corner bumping. Light tanning to spine and edges… Read more about this item Item Price
A$19.20
The King Must Die
by Renault,Mary
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Edition
- First Pbk.Ed..
- Published
- 1967
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780553207064
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
STREETSVILLE, Ontario, CAN
- Item Price
-
A$7.67
Show Details
Description:
New York: Signet/New American Library, 1967 Book. Very Good. Pbk. First Pbk.Ed... Item Price
A$7.67
The King Must Die
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used
- Edition
- First Edition
- Published
- 1958
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Rockville, Maryland, USA
- Item Price
-
A$46.00
Show Details
Description:
New York: Pantheon Books Inc, 1958. First Edition. Hardcover. 10mo; G/G-; pp 338; greenish tan spine with red and black text; dust jacket has noticeable wear to exterior; some rubbing wear to edges; slight staining inside dj; cloth shows some smudges to exterior; strong boards; text block exterior edges have slight toning; interior clean; intact binding. 1336071. FP New… Read more about this item Item Price
A$46.00
Kings Must Die
by Renault, Mary
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Published
- 1981
- Binding
- Mass Market Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780553207064
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Seattle, Washington, USA
- Item Price
-
A$11.53
Show Details
Description:
Bantam Books, 1981. Mass Market Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed. Item Price
A$11.53
