The Praise Singer cover art

The Praise Singer

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Praise Singer

By: Mary Renault
Narrated by: Tim Bentinck
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

Set in sixth-century Greece at the time of the Tyrants, the Persian Wars, and a great flowering of the arts, this novel takes the form of Simonides' memoirs, written in retirement in Sicily. The author was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and she also wrote The King Must Die.

©1978 Mary Renault (P)2015 Audible, Ltd Classics Historical Fiction Fiction Ancient History Ancient Greece

Critic Reviews

"[Renault's] historical novels...are among the finest ever written." (The Washington Post Book World)
"A song of praise, a work of love, a serene, deliberate book, full of wisdom, rich in character, incident and description." (Wall Street Journal)
All stars
Most relevant  
Loved it - fantastic book - I am
Working my way through all
Of Mary Renault’s books - have loved them all

So interesting and engaging and teaches you some greek history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It is remarkable how effective Mary Renault is in peopling the past with characters that we recognise and respond to. In The Praise Singer, she takes, as the protagonist, a figure from the sixth century BC, Simonides, about whom we know relatively little, but who is regarded as one of the great lyric poets of that period in ancient Greece. And yet, in her presentation, she makes him live fully and convincingly in our minds and imaginations . And Mary Renault's clear knowledge of that complex period of Greek history when all was in flux, is truly awe-inspiring. It is a fascinating and enlightening work.

And in this audible version of it, all praise should be given to the narrator for his excellent reading of the text. He can nuance his voice, for the various people that we meet, in a most effective way, but for me, his skill came out most effectively in the various dialogues we hear: the continuing dialogue between Simonides and his brother; the great dialogue between Simonides and the hetaera, as well as others.

It is a book Simonides would have found worthy of song.

Worthy of Great Praise

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.