Just started rereading Mary Renault's wonderful classic a few days back and this will be probably be my third or fourth visit to this book.
First the book is a wonderful novel written by someone who certainly can write.
Just about 50 pages in and already picked up on several similarities between the book and Stone's script where young Alexander is in Olympia's bedroom and drunk Philip arrives. It is not exactly the same but the similiarity in the scene is overwhelming and the grim way Olympia and Philip perceive each other is the same.
Also, the views of painting done by Zeuxis clearly seem to have been inspired therein.
The details don't seem to have escaped the script writer of 300 either as Renault cites that young Alexander discovers Persian kings required earth and water from kings as a symbol of their surrender to the Persian empire, so do we find out the same at the beginning of the movie. Not sure the historical source of this maybe someone could enlighten...
![Idea :idea:](./images/smilies/icon_idea.gif)
Either way, I guess that anyone thinking about writing a script on Alexander could certainly not have discounted Renault's book even with those rose tinted glasses of hers.Certainly one to recommend, although you may find yourself reading and rereading it as I have...
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
Cheers,