The Praise Singer
A Virago Modern Classic
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for 3 months + $20 Audible bonus voucher
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Offer ends on 28 December, 2026.
The Praise Singer
Narrated by:
Joan Walker, Tim Bentinck
Buy Now for $29.95
-
Narrated by:
-
Joan Walker
-
Tim Bentinck
Summary
'Mary Renault is an exceptional storyteller' CHARLOTTE MENDELSON
'A song of praise, a work of love, a serene, deliberate book, full of wisdom, rich in character, incident and description' WALL STREET JOURNAL
Each generation has its own dream of beauty. I have lived long enough to watch it change.
At a local wedding on the isle of Keos, farmer's son Simonides is mesmerised by the performance of a renowned Ionian bard. Simonides' own voice is as beautiful as his appearance is ugly, yet his singing has been confined to hours spent alone in the mountains. But now, seeing a way to a new life, he begs to become the singer's apprentice.
Before long, his fame propels him to the heart of classical Greece in fifth century BC - a time of political upheaval, of Athenian tyrants, Persian invaders and pirate kings. As art and power intertwine, Simonides must use all his wit and talent to compete with his flamboyant rival, Anacreon, and keep his songs alive.
'Her characters live vividly in their own time, and in ours' MADELINE MILLER
'As a historical novelist witing about the ancient world, Mary Renault has few peers' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW©2026 Mary Renault (P)2026 Little, Brown Book Group Limited
No reviews yet
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.