**spoiler alert** The body of a woman from Briton is dredged up from the Tiber and Flavia investigates. The woman was on her way to meet her 'husband'**spoiler alert** The body of a woman from Briton is dredged up from the Tiber and Flavia investigates. The woman was on her way to meet her 'husband' a gangster who had been exiled to Briton. Nobody is happy to see him return, his real wife who has been running his busness in Rome, the other gang leaders, the special forces who have had to chase him to Rome, or the authorities there who are being overruled by the special task force. Most unhappy is Flavia Albia herself because it turns out the gangster is Florius the guy who raped her and groomed her for a brothel before Falco & Helena found her. So this case is personal.
Really enjoyed this. Its a fantastic evocation of 1st century Rome. I loved delving into the seedy gangster world, plus I thought this was an excellent case for Flavia giving her some great character development....more
**spoiler alert** I'll kick off with 'I just didn't get it' - I've never been able to get a grip on the original Alcestis myth in the first place - Th**spoiler alert** I'll kick off with 'I just didn't get it' - I've never been able to get a grip on the original Alcestis myth in the first place - The Euripides play is... problematic. It's supposed to be a Satyr play (so you'd get 3 tragedies and one bawdy comedy - the Satyr play performed back to back, often all by the same writer) but I've never found the play satisfying as either a comedy or a tragedy - Ted Hughes did a pretty good modern retelling of the story - but even with Hughes at the helm its still tough to get a handle on.
King Admetus gets a get out of jail free card from Apollo - if he can find someone to take his place, he doesn't have to die. He goes to his best friend and his aging parents, but they refuse, laughing at him. His wife Alcestis however, loves him so much she agrees to take his place and goes to the Underworld. Hercules visits his friend Admetus and breaks the rules of hospitality by being loud, drunk and bawdily retelling all his exploits while the household is grieving - He goes to the underworld to atone; rescues Alcestis and returns her to Admetus where they live happily ever after.
I was super excited to hear of Katharine Beutner's queer, feminist retelling - but by the end, found it just as frustrating as the original. Admetus is in love with Apollo and can't love Alcestis the way she wants. She has to live with the shame of her husband having an affair with a male god. Her beloved sister died of illness when she was a child, so she's perfectly happy to take her husband's place 1) to see her sister again, 2) to prevent shaming her husband and 3) because she's trapped in an 'unhappy' marriage
This unhappy marriage is stretching it - because while her husband doesn't love her as much as Apollo, its not an awful marriage - he's not unkind to her and they do have a physical relationship.
Anyhow she goes to the underworld and gets seduced by Persephone who seems to have a somewhat 'open' relationship with Hades. The power dynamic of Hades/Persephone is rather odd - Persephone is definitely in charge - Alcestis spies on Persephone riding Hades at one point - And Persephone claims her husband is hers to use - the pair do seem to love each other yet Persephone definitely prefers women - So again its frustrating because it would be so much easier if Persophone was simply a lesbian and hated Hades for abducting her - And Admetus fully gay - All the relationships are sort of half way. Alcestis constantly tries to escape Persophone's advances and she's clearly uncomfortable and yet at the same time she can't stop thinking about her.
Very straight forward Hercules comes to get Alcestis back (he's very much a blunt instrument) bewildered both that he doesn't have to fight for Alcestis and that he witnesses her in a steamy farewell embrace with the queen - but what happens in the underworld stays in the underworld....
She returns to her husband who is grieving - neither of them see their same sex immortal lovers again and live.... 'happily' ever after? Well they have children at any rate and live a content mortal existance.
ARGH! I just don't get it. What is the point????? I guess Alcestis becomes equal to her husband maybe? She's had a same sex immortal adventure, broadened her horizons. But that's about it - I guess she can now understand Admetus' love of Apollo? I don't know. I have the same frustration with the movie 'Kissing Jessica Stein' - where a straight laced woman confined by her Jewish background has a lesbian affair before settling down with the guy she was with originally. It's incredibly frustrating and I just don't get it - maybe I read to many romance novels - but I don't feel Admetus and Alcestis is a passionate romance and them ending up with each other just feels wrong - but neither did I feel the great romance of Alcestis/Persephone because Alcestis wasn't comfortable with it and Persephone seemed to be content with her marriage to Hades. So yeah....
While this did what it said - a queer retelling of the Alcestis myth, I found it just as muddy and unsatisfying as the original story - I'm none the wiser as to the moral or perpose of the story and overall am left feeling frustrated and bewildrered....more
Yes another women in Greek mythology re-telling - this one Agamemnon's daughter Elektra. I have to say that overall, especially reading this directly Yes another women in Greek mythology re-telling - this one Agamemnon's daughter Elektra. I have to say that overall, especially reading this directly after Casati's Clytemnestra this is rathaer disapointing. While the titular character is Elektra and its basis I guess is a prelude to the play Elektra - this is actually from three women's POV: Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra.
It focuses far more of Clytemnestra, but even there doesn't give me anything new. I found the queen sympathetic and it explained her actions - but it just failed to wow me. Aegisthus is still sketchy and I felt that this novel didn't really take a side (Agamemnon monster/vs Aegisthus in the right - Aegisthus a monster, Agamemnon wronged... ) I wanted something a bit more believable.
Cassandra's voice was utterly superfluous - It gives us a bit on an insight into the Trojan side, but honestly this could have stayed all from the Greek's perspective and been none the worse off.
Elektra I hated. I was hoping this would give her a voice and an insight into her head - but I failed to see why she would idolize her father so much. having Clytemnestra on good terms with her until Iphigenia's death lessened the impact of her hatred somehow - she becomes uncomfortably obsessessed and unlikable. He treatment of her husband Georgios just made me dislike her more.
So this is a nice overview of the Clytemnestra/death of Agamemnon story from a female perspective - Its fairly well written and pacey. However its far less about its protagonist Elektra than her mother and didn't make me look at any of the characters in a different light. I would love to have explored Elektra's psyche more, but this just didn't deliver for me.
I'm a tad biassed as I know this story so well. For readers maybe les familiar with the tale this may well offer a few surprises, its a decent retelling of the myth. I just wanted more somehow. And its going to suffer from coming out so close to the other books covering the same story: Cytemnestra, Clytemnestra's Bind, A Spartan Sorrow, House of Names, and Ithica to list the ones I can come up with off the top of my head....more
This is one of an increasing number of recent 'Women in the Ancient World' retellings jumping on the bandwaggon of authors such as Madeline Miller andThis is one of an increasing number of recent 'Women in the Ancient World' retellings jumping on the bandwaggon of authors such as Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint. I have to say, though it is so far one of my favourites in the genre. For a start it's a story that really needed to be told - I mean there's been plenty of Penelope, Helen, Persephone, Medea retellings but Clytemnestra has to this point been portrayed soley as a monster and I was thrilled to finally hear her side of the story - because lets face it she has more provocation than say Medea for murderous revenge - Theseus only ditches Medea for another woman - Clytemnestra has her husband and son murdered THEN her daughter sacrificed so her husband can go off to war, and has to live with a string of infidelities....
I thought this novel really captured her essence - it didn't gloss over her murderous tendances, or criticise her for having more than one lover - at first I really didn't like her, but as the familar tale unfolded I really began to sympathise. This was well written and I really liked how it de-mythologied the story and played up the human aspect, giving a very strong female voice to a fascinating character. I liked the broken romance with Aegisthus - It was interestingly brought in late into the novel - I thought he was a fascinating character in his own right - next up we really need the story from his POV!
Interesting to see Odysseus portrayed in a negative light - I really liked that. Also the strained relationship with Electra was very well handled.
The Trojan War and The Odyssey are very much in the background in this which is great because we know those strories back to front - I liked that this focused on the details and some of the obscurer myths like Thesus' rape of Helen.
For a debut novel I thought this was phenomenal; well written as well as actually having something to say. Really enjoyed this one....more
New translation of Euripdes' Iphigenia in Aulis - illustrated with panels from the epic graphic novel retelling of the Trojan war: Age of Bronze.
IphigNew translation of Euripdes' Iphigenia in Aulis - illustrated with panels from the epic graphic novel retelling of the Trojan war: Age of Bronze.
Iphigenia in Aulis is, lets face it not a very dramatic play in terms of story - Agamemnon is told by a prophet that he must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia in order to get favourable winds to sail to Troy. He lies to his wife pretending he's sending for his daughter to marry Achillies, sacrifices her, they go to Troy.
As Euripidean tragedy this is not one of the better tales. Character-wise its disappointing, Agamemnon comes across as untrustworthy and inconstant as Menalaus paints him. Iphigenia is a perfect martyr, Menalaus monstrous and Odysseus sly. It's biggest selling point is its forshadowing of the Oresteia - Which is fabulously displayed here - The image of Klytemnestra's pissed off face the final theing we see before black out.
What I loved about this volume is the way its laid out - mixing text and illustration, it really brings this to life. It also has super useful appendices - pronunciation, cast list and Greek & Trojan genealogies - Enen if you aren't a huge fan of the play, this is quite useful for any student looking at the Trojan War.
I adore the graphic series Age of Bronze and I'm really excited to see them branching out, even if this isn't the play I would have chosen - This is easily the most accessable version I've seen of Iphigenia in Aulis, and I love that it's made it available to new audiences....more
I'm a massive fan of Lindsey Davis, but I have to say I found this one of her weaker novels. It started off with a bang - Flavia is hired by her relatI'm a massive fan of Lindsey Davis, but I have to say I found this one of her weaker novels. It started off with a bang - Flavia is hired by her relatives at the Stargazer to aprehend a pair of lovers who absconded leaving military rivits instead of money to pay their bill. Loved that - its funny, fast paced and an excellent entry into the main plot. Her enquiry leads to a huge Romeo and Juliet style families feud over posession of an orchard. As she digs deeper Flavia finds that she might not actually be dealing with two families at all, but one convoluted and estranged one...
Most of Flavia's cases involve murder and with a title like Fatal Legacy, the nasty shears on the cover and a case involving a massive feud you'd expect the bodies to be piling up, but we don't really get any hints of a murder until the 350 page mark - I think that's what disappointed me about this - Its NOT a typical murder mystery and the family relationships are convoluted to say the least - It does have two family trees which help - but you've got some many similar names (Appius Tranuillus Surus, Appius Tranuillus Aprilis, Appius Tranuillus Postuminus, not helpful when Flavia's brother is called Postumous, and we've got an array of J's Julius, Januarius, Julia, Junia, Junstinus, Junillus)... I was constantly referring back to the cast list and family trees to try and keep the characters straight - That really lessened my enjoyment of this one.
It drags in the middle too, with no murders or much action and less humour than usual, I found this one slow going in places. Normally I get several laugh out loud moments and I didn't find this one nearly as much fun as some of her other books.
Its still well written mind you, and an excellent evocation of 1st century Rome, you can literally smell and taste daily life in Rome. I also like that this looks at ordinary people, we have a gay couple, freed slaves, tradespeople - its quite refreshing to see Rome from another persepective than soldiers or statesmen.
This is the first of a YA fantasy duology centering on the Orpheus/Eurydice myth - Orpheus is the tyrannical villain here, sending a team of young SouThis is the first of a YA fantasy duology centering on the Orpheus/Eurydice myth - Orpheus is the tyrannical villain here, sending a team of young Soul Servers (priests of Hades) to get his wife Eurydice back from the Underworld, but when our intrepid team finally find her they learn that she has very good reasons for not wanting to return....
I absolutely loved this. It takes a familiar myth and turns it on its head - Asking the question, what if Eurydice didn't want to return. Being a classics scholar I have a firm image of the characters from Greek myth in my head and it always delights me when I find a book that challenges my ideas and gives me a solid reason for doing so.
Gender switching Hades is fantastic - I love the idea that since Gods aren't bound by human rules they don't have to be ruled by human gender.
I loved the depiction of Orpheus - more like a tyrannical Roman Emperor or Alexander the Great at his most megolomaniac. It was nice that Theron takes the more traditional role Orpheus usually has - skilled bard, and that he's the one that actually goes down to the underworld.
World building with the Theodesmioi is also well realised and interesting. There's shades of the Maze Runner hereas well which I rather liked - the Blood Hunters pursing them and the tasks that they have to perform.
If I'm being picky I wasn't too keen on the romantic/emotional entanglements angle - Our heroine Deina is in a sort of love triangle almost, with Theron, the bard she's grown up with who betrayed her (so now its a sort of love-hate relationship) Thanatos (the mecurial god of Death who seems strangely obsessed with her) and her best friend Chryse - the reason why she accepts Orpheus' quest - to gain them their freedom so thety can live on a remote island somewhere happily ever after. It's too much - I guess I either wanted Deina to be out as a lesbian (in love with Chryse) straight (in love with Theorn) or Other (drawn to Nat) having all three in the mix is a bit.... frustrating.
Otherwise I really enjoyed this one - It reminded me a bit of Richard Pertill but made more relevant to YA/modern audiences. It's sequel Queen of the Gods when straight on pre-order, very much looking forward to it.
I also out to mention the stunning cover on this one - Which instantly caught my eye in Waterstones. Beautiful....more
This begins with three pages detailing the Greek myth - and I have to say i like the layout and the mixed art stryles of clasical realism and stylisedThis begins with three pages detailing the Greek myth - and I have to say i like the layout and the mixed art stryles of clasical realism and stylised violence - text is a tiny bit hard to read but fine, I know the story and can appreciate the art and visual lay out.
What follows is a semi-autobiographical piece where the disfigured hero identifies with the minotaur - we take a look at the seedy world of the streets with prostitutes, homeless and gang violence as he walks past - he gets aided by an ethnic lesbian who takes him to a clinic/hospital where he encounters Dr. Sparks who he later marries - herself disfigured by a full body birthmark.
In the clinic he reads the mintaur myth - I have to say I loved the interracial depiction of Theseus & Pasiphae - I felt this could have offered a really powerful metaphor in its own right retelling the minotaur myth as one of racism - however while that is thrown in there that isn't the main focus.
we follow our disfigured hero as he gets rescued by a lesbian couple and their child, gets educated, finds his father? and eventally his happy ending with the Doctor.
To me this strayed too far from allegory of its source material - I get that it's showing how we can all identify with the minotaur (other) through disfigurement or gender polictics or race - And I guess how we can all find our own happy ending - but because the Greek myth is so tragic, I just didn't get the comparison - or what the point of linking the two really acomplished.
The artwork is all over the pace in a mix of different styles - I though the realism bits (often the Greek myth references) were excellent - but some of the other bits are frankly hideous.
Over all I guess I found this such a mess - the art is all over the pace and I just didn't feel there was enough of a connection for the allegory to work. There were also a bunch of irrelevent characters - like the neo-nazi thugs and the prostitute and the old man banshee - I just didn't get their purpose. I think I just didn't connect with this in general - I've seen people rave about how brave and poignant it is, but it didn't do much for me personally I'm afraid. ...more
**spoiler alert** This is yet another women of the ancient world novel jumping on the bandwaggon that began I guess with the success of Miller's Circe**spoiler alert** This is yet another women of the ancient world novel jumping on the bandwaggon that began I guess with the success of Miller's Circe.
A lot of fans of the genre dislike this one and I can see why - it is not merely a retelling of Hippolytus from Phaedra's POV.
It's structured like a Greek tragedy in acts, with a chorus, told from various women's viewpoints - many of whom are not really integral to the story. Athenian tribute Xenethippe (the one happy ending here) appears at the very beggining and doesn't re-appear until the end to give us a coda that the world goes on - It's a bit weird admittedly, but I did like the multi-character prespective, particularly the insights into Medea.
This de-mythologies the story - we get the reality of the minotaur, although my biggest niggle as that it is never explicitly said just what his deformity was or explained why it wasn't apparent from birth - it suggests that gods are made up to explain human flaws which I really liked. I also like the way this ties various myths together - Medea killing her children/theseus slaying the minotaur/ hippolytus/Theseus going on to found Athenian democracy.
I liked the corrupt politician Trypho and the clear struggle from despotic monarchy to democracy - I'd have loved this to be the focus - The trial that brought an end to an entire government system - I think if this had a tighter focus and looked at that, instead of the feminist themes, or explored them through the trial as a victory for women's rights it might have been truly something.
Since it's based on the tragedy of Hippolytus it should come as no surprise that this does not have a happy ending for Phaedra, her maid Kandake, Ariadne her sister - again that's another thing you are either going to love or hate - I'm not even sure if their deaths have any real meaning - they are mythologised away by politicians and we don't seem to have a moral victory for women here - it simply reflects the nature of tragedy - man or in this case woman, is better off dead.
Over all I was impressed with this, I found it incredibly readable and thought it gave an excellent insight into the position of women in the Bronze age. It tried to do maybe too much, and never quite managed to decide what it wanted to be - tragedy, myth debunker, feminist retelling, but you've got to applaud it for attempting that and for trying to do something a bit different. ...more
Graphic novel collecting 1-25 of the webtoon - this tells the romance of Hades & Persephone, bringing in Cupid (Eros here) and Psyche.
I LOVED this. ItGraphic novel collecting 1-25 of the webtoon - this tells the romance of Hades & Persephone, bringing in Cupid (Eros here) and Psyche.
I LOVED this. It got me early on, when Eros argues with his mother Aphrodite: Aphodite wants to punish Persephone after Hade's off hand comment at a party that '[Persephone's beauty] puts Aphrodite to shame' Eros is reluctant and points out "look at this girl/she's like the personification of a friggin' cinnamon roll/an adoreable, pink cinnamon roll."
The modern idioms, sensibility and tech fuse seemlessly with classical myth producing something fresh, accessable and truly charming. The only character I felt was off was Hera, who is far too nice here - I'm so used to her being a bitchy villain, but even that's kind of refreshing, showing her in a completely different way.
**spoiler alert** Another novel jumping on the current band-wagon of retelling Greek Myths, often from the POV of a female character. Here Claire Nort**spoiler alert** Another novel jumping on the current band-wagon of retelling Greek Myths, often from the POV of a female character. Here Claire North take's Odysseus' wife Penelope, one of the few women in Greek Mythology to have a positive reputation and a relatively happy ending (neither martyr or monster).
Penelope's POV has been given many times before - Ovid's Heroides (epistle), Carole Anne Duffy's The World's Wife (poem) Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad (Novella) to name but a few. But all these have been relatively short, so I was quite excited by the prospect of a full novel.
The action takes place on Ithaca during the time when Odysseus is away on the island of nymph Calypso (so at the beginning of events in Homer's Odyssey as it reads, since it's written en medias res) - Penelope is beset by suitors, one of whom is trying to force her hand by sending Greeks in the guise of Illyrians to raid her shores. Telemachus is being a trypical teenager, rebelling against his mother, and if that wasn't bad enough, Clytemnestra arrives after having murdered her husband Agamemnon, seeking sanctuary, Electra and Orestes hot on her trail.
This one's not bad, I liked the myth back story of Penelope and the ducks, I'd forgotten that particular myth, and I liked the connection between the three queens: Helen, Clytemnestra and Penelope. I did however feel that this novel shed more light on Clytemnestra (who was far more interesting than Penelope) - In the same way that The Penelopiad felt more about the hanged maids, this one felt more about Clytemnestra/Agamemnon and the Oresteia than events in the Odyssey which is weird for a book called Ithaca.
What this does exceptionally well is weave myth strands together and bring in the gods, so that their intervention/presence feels entirely natural. This focuses on te female goddesses too: Hera, Artemis and Athena - Just as Odysseus is out of frame doing his Odyssey thing, so too are the male Gods, Zeus, Ares & Poesideon left out of the action, though we know they are there. So this is a good novel for any study of women in the ancient world.
In terms of story though, its just not as gripping as The Odyseey - we focus on a very small time frame and to be honest, not that much happens - There's no real resolution - we don't see Clytemnestra's death, Electra or Orestes' fate, the fate of the suitors, the maids, or Odysseus' return. All we get is the death of the raiders and Andrreamon's bully tactics revealed - this feels very much like an episode in a wider epic rather than a satisfying story in its own right.
Still it's not bad and kept me reading to the end, I just didn't find this as engaging as some of the other novels in the genre....more
Feminist spin on Homer's Odyssey, this gives silent women a voice (like Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls does for the Iliad). Penelope's POV isn'Feminist spin on Homer's Odyssey, this gives silent women a voice (like Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls does for the Iliad). Penelope's POV isn't new, Ovid did this back in first century Rome - with his letter from Penelope in the Heroides, and more recently Carole Anne Duffy in 'The World's Wife' (And now there's Claire North's Ithaca as well) - but what this does uniquely, and I really applaud it for, is to also give voice to the twelve hanged maids, who are barely remembered.
After Odysessus has dispatched the suitors, at the end of The Odyssey book 22, He demands the women 'who have disgraced themselves' to come forth - He forces them to clean up the massacre of the suitors (Odysseus himself taking charge and hounding them on until they finish) then he damands them to be sliced down with long swords. Telemachus gets a bit creative, not wanting them to have a 'decent' (ie swift) death and hangs them as an example instead - a noose was cast around each one's neck to dispatch them in the most miserable way. (470-475). Their fate is a mere 5 lines, which are almost completely forgotten after the excitement of the big battle.
Atwood takes this injustice, and like a terrier won't let go. She has the maids act as a Greek chorus and I love these verse interludes, each in a slightly different style from re-enactment satyr play, to a sea shanty. She has Penelope behind their impertinence - as a way to hide their true intentions of gathering information for her - and stresses their rape at the hand of the suitors. Making them sympathetic makes their fate all the more tragic. She gives Odysseus a mock trial, but he weasels out of it with the deus ex machina of Athene.
I really enjoyed this, I liked Penelope's irreverant voice and the different narrative styles of the chorus. I liked the fact that this gives different interpretations - an actual cyclops or a one eyed tavern keeper? harpies or whores with musical talent wearing feathers? I would love to have seen Henry Treece tackle this one like he did Jason de-mystifying the Odysessy, now there's something begging to be written! I liked the fact that Penelope 'lives' on as a shade in the underworld and watches the modern world.
The interpretation of the 12 maids as symbolic, sacrifices of the old moon goddess and the rise of male patriarchy is fascinating. It's not an interpretation I had ever encountered, but once you read this section it makes a whole lot of sense and is a fascinating area of study.
I've seen criticisms of the Penelopiad that it's not a great story - And this is true, it's not a Penelope POV novel in the same way as Miller's Circe or the earlier mentioned Silence of the Girls - It's more of an exploration of themes and ideas in the Odyssesy, a de-mystification, a scream at the injustice of forgotten women and a deeper look at Peleope herself. If you want an ancient historical novel, there are other titles far better suited. However if you know the Odyssey inside and out like me, are studying it, or indeed the role of women in Ancient Greece then I urge you to check this out, its a great deal of fun and has some really interesting ideas....more
**spoiler alert** Unlike the Book of the Damned (the 1st secret books of Paradys volume) which is three very separate novellas unified by place and to**spoiler alert** Unlike the Book of the Damned (the 1st secret books of Paradys volume) which is three very separate novellas unified by place and to some extent theme of gender idenity, this volume is far more unified and a coherant narative. We still have three stories, or at least sets of characters: Ancient Rome, 1,100 years later (late Medieval) and 10 years (possibly) later - Early Renaissance - but the story weaves seamlessly between these and they all follow the same demon.
We begin in the Renaissance? With Raoulin a scholar, staying at the haunted manor belonging to the cursed Uscaret family. It's so ill thought of that the prostitute he visits comits suicide - in a particularly nasty way, once she hears where he's staying. And this sets the tone for the rest of the novel. He meets the ghost of Helise and we then get her telling her story - a riff off the gothic beauty and the beast/werewolf fairytale only her husband heros is possessed by the Sumerian bird headed god and transforms at orgasm - yes this really goes there. Her death and that of her husband are pretty nasty. This is followed by necrophilia as we find Raoulin making love to Helise's corpse and him realising that she was in fact a ghost....
During this narative we get an interlude where we meet Haninuh the jew and his daughter Ruquel - and see his first battle with the beast. He's like a Jewish Van Helsing.
We then jump back in time to Ancient Rome and meet Legionary Vusca who makes a pact for luck with a prostitute and is given the demon's amulet - and within this narative we jump further back in time to see how the amulet came to be formed. We see how Vusca gets possessed by the demon and how he passes on the curse to his son. Murder and suicide follow.
We then jump back to Raolin, now posessed of the demon due to his necrophilia - he tries to comit suicide but botches it and ends up on the doorstep of the jew, for the final showdown.
The narative structure impressed me greatly - this weaves its stories together like a tapestry - its not simply Raoulin's story as a framing device, because the Jew comes in in the middle and we break for Raoulin to get posessed. I love the non-linear storytelling here, you need to keep your wits about you, but it's masterfully done. There are some lovely echoes and parallels - like Helise trying to seduce Heros, and Vusca's son Petrus being seciced by his wife Lucia.
I also love the unique spin this puts on familar tropes - you've seen demonic posession, Faustian pacts and were-curses done before. Yet this presents everything in a fresh and new way. Things are familiar and yet not quite right - From the setting Paradys - Which could be Paris and yet is clearly other, to the slightly off names - Raoulin (Raoul) Ruquel (Raquel) Helise (Helen or Elise) Heros (Hero) - to the tropes themselves: It's not a were-wolf but a were- bird demon, the Faustian pact is made with a prostitute rather than the demon itself - and is a way to pass on the curse, Demonic posession is contracted through sex or procreation.
The other unique element to this one is its mythology and depiction of various religions. The bird headed demon is from Sumerian/Babylonian/Assyrian mythology - If you're familiar with the Burney Relief (Lilith and the Screech Owl) and some of the Assyrian friezes then this will be a true delight - the initial prostitute is named Lililla - nice nod to Lilith. We get Mithric religion here, worship of Isis, Judaism as well as Christianity - really liked that, it makes such a change from simply Christianity vs the devil.
The prose and atmosphere are wonderfully gothic and this holds its own against Angela Carter and Anne Rice at the same time evoking the likes of Poe.
My only disappointment is Peter Goodfellow's cover - while it follows the book of the damned, this deserves a lavish, gothic image of the bird-demon, theres so much scope here for something that represents the contents better. Still I loved this one and it shows why Lee is still my favourite author. ...more
For Fans of Lindsey Davis this latest is a real treat because it openly references and links back to a previous Falco novel - Falco #6: Last Act in PaFor Fans of Lindsey Davis this latest is a real treat because it openly references and links back to a previous Falco novel - Falco #6: Last Act in Palmyra (one of my old favourites) - but this time giving Albia a chance to enter the world of Roman Drama.
From a Classic student's POV this one is brilliant because it references a lot of drama and myth which will be very familiar - the murders are all tableaus from plays - so we get Medea and her slaughtered children, Pasiphae raped by the bull, Oedipus killing Laius, the fall of Icarus and even a crucifixion - The murders themselves are among Lindsey Davis' most memorable - and it's really nice to revert back to a classical whodunit.
However as with so many Lindsey Davis novels there is no real mystery - While the murders themselves are fantastic - the murder mystery plot is extremely weak - there are no surprises on who the killer is. This is certainly not a page turner because of plot or tension. What keeps you riveted is the excellent evocation of 1st century Rome and likeable characters and humour.
Being a life-long Davis fan I thoroughly enjoyed this one, but I've still not quite warmed to Albia as much as I did with Falco. Still there's lots here to enjoy, fans won't be too disappointed. ...more
Medusa is the latest in line of feminist retellings of Classical Greek myths - In keeping with things like Circe, Ariadne, The Silence of the Girls. HMedusa is the latest in line of feminist retellings of Classical Greek myths - In keeping with things like Circe, Ariadne, The Silence of the Girls. Here we take the Perseus/Medusa myth cycle from the perspective of Medusa - finally giving her a voice.
Personally, I've always seen her as a victim, so this didn't really offer up too many surprises for me - the most notable exception being the unexpected friendship she strikes up with her murder Perseus.
I found this very readable and a nice addition to the recent trend for reworking Classical myth....more
**spoiler alert** 3* seems a bit mean because Ted Hughes renders an excellent version of Alcestis, making it far more accessible and relevant than any**spoiler alert** 3* seems a bit mean because Ted Hughes renders an excellent version of Alcestis, making it far more accessible and relevant than any previous versions I've read. My rating comes more from the play itself which I've always found "problematic" to say the least.
The Penguin version of Alcestis claims "this play cannot be categorized" and is "unique" and while that is certainly true its very hard to get a handle on.
Apollo gives King Admetus (Admetos in the Hughes version here) a gift - he doesn't have to die if he can find someone to take his place. When he finds himself with a terminal illness he begs his geriatric parents to take his place. They refuse. In the end his adoring wife Alcestis sacrifices herself. Hercules turns up whilst Admetus is grieving. Not wanting to upset his friend, Admetus lies and tells Hercules that it is a serving girl who's died. Hercules gets roaring drunk and relives his labours. Eventually he finds out Alcestis has died. Struck with remorse for his outrageous drunken behaviour he goes to the underworld, fights Hades and brings back Alcestis. She has three days where she can't speak and then she and Admetus can live happily ever after.
Eh? This is Euripides, master of Greek Tragedy. Yet Alcestis has a happy ending and a comedic drunken party, so I say again... eh?
It was a common practice for Greek dramatis to write a set of 4 plays: 3 of a serious nature and one "satyr" play - a bawdy comedy. Alcestis is supposedly one of these. Certainly Hercules' drunken revels suggest that as does the all's well that ends well ending. However the set up, the musing on the Human condition, very real grief and the funereal setting for this are all trademarks of tragedy. So if this is a satyr play, its a very odd one.
The Ted Hughes version is a great translation/reworking but offers even more complexity. The Hercules (Heracles) scenes in particular come to life - the re-enacting of his labours is a delight for classics fans. However it is the Prometheus segment that really struck me.
Hercules goes to rescue Prometheus and kill the vulture pecking at his liver. Prometheus and God have a conversation - Its really interesting to note that Hughes calls the character 'God' rather than a named Greek deity such as 'Zeus' - God gives a wonderful speech about the harm that Prometheus has done in 'freeing' mankind:
GOD: You think you freed him? You separated him from the illumination of Heaven, from the wisdom and certainty of Heaven. You freed him to grope his way into the mine-shaft, into the bank vault of his own ego, his selfishness and his pride. To grope his way into the barrow of his fearful solitary confinement, with no more illumination than a match. You freed him to grope his way into the dark maze of the atom with no more illumination than hope."
Prometheus: I freed him to be human.
A wonderful evocation of religion vs secularism - But it does seem quite odd in a play about Greek Gods. And while a god 'Apollo' is kind of responsible for the whole mess (giving Admetus a double edged gift), it isn't human autonomy that triumphs, it is a miracle from a demi god (Hercules bringing back Alcestis) that resolves things - so to my mind, the messages here are quite muddied.
I feel like this wants to be a tragedy. When Admetus curses and disowns his parents you think he's going to incur the wrath of the gods. When Hercules breaks the rules of hospitality with his boorish behaviour you feel he's going to be punished. And at the end you feel like Admetus is going to do something to Alcestis so he loses her for good (like Orpheus & Eurydice for example) - but none of that happens and you get a frustratingly happy ending, that just feels, for want of a better word... weird.
So an oddity to say the least and one which frustrates me greatly. However, if you are going to read a version, the Ted Hughes one is a great place to start....more
Fantasy novel set in a fantasy version of Ancient Crete. If you like things like Richard Purtill's Kapthu series you are going to absolutely adore thiFantasy novel set in a fantasy version of Ancient Crete. If you like things like Richard Purtill's Kapthu series you are going to absolutely adore this.
We follow two young and stunningly beautiful cousins Hora (a courtesan) and Lordon (a pimp and thief). After their parents are murdered by a Sphinx they've had to make their own way in the world, plying their trades in Ancient Egypt until they are exiled for a misdemeanour. Hora sleeps with a prince who refuses to play her and Lordon takes offense and slaps him.... Their ship gets attacked by Harpies and a sphinx and they wash up in Pseira but are again exiled for their respective trades. They are sent into the Beast forest where no humans ever return because it is a place of wild creatures...
Here they meet the creatures of the wood. Lordon (now Oryx) falls in love with 300 year old Dryad healer Zoe and gives up his thieving ways and Hora (now Marguerite) falls in love with minotaur Silver Bells. They are exiled when a human hating centaur finds Oryx stealing a kiss from Zoe. When it seems they are to be captured by mercenary Tritons Silver Bells attempts a rescue and all three are captured and sold to take place in the Cretan games - Where Silver Bells is set to fight a Sphinx in the arena.
Quick thinking Zoe, spurred by her unrequited love for Silver Bells gathers a band of motley hybrids to infiltrate the human realm and rescue their friends.
Classics fans are going to love this - its a fully realised Ancient world but peopled with mythological hybrids. Unlike things like Piers Anthony's Xanth however there's no comedy and these creatures are not stereotypes - Our minotaur for example has antlers, the Sphinx is part Shark and this amalgamates her with the lamia - so she becomes a vengeful monstrous woman who can change shape. We also have some slight variations which are new to me altogether: panisci - children satyrs who will remain goat-footed children forever and Bears of Artemis - mini children bear hybrids.
So while this echoes classical myth is some respects, it becomes something delightfully fresh and new. We have a minotaur with no connotations to the Theseus myth cycle indeed he's hybridised more with the traditional Herne the hunter and an evil Sphinx who asks no riddles, has no connection to Oedipus and feels lie a cross between Clytemnestra and Hecate.
The other thing I can applaud this for is the completely unexpected ending. It left me going well that came out of nowhere! Oh my! The ending changes the entire tone of the book which I thought was pretty neat.
Fans of Fantasy utilising Greek mythology will definitely want this in their collection. ...more
Set during Saturnalia (Christmas) Tiberius is investigating a scam putting bad nuts on the market giving people food poisoning. Flavia's client is a wSet during Saturnalia (Christmas) Tiberius is investigating a scam putting bad nuts on the market giving people food poisoning. Flavia's client is a wife who claims her husband is cheating, gets Flavia to investigate and then help her leave him. Both cases are linked through a complex family melodrama of two criminal families trying to find a way to operate in the same city without antagonising each other....
As with a lot of Flavia novels the 'plot' is fairly weak and as crime novels go this is a very poor example. However what it does deliver is a comical depiction of Rome under Domitian during the most chaotic festival of the year. The setting and evocation of life in this period hasn't really been equalled. You are in 1st century Rome, with its smells, its quarrels and its general hustle and bustle. All the characters are engaging and the humour and wit make this as much of a delight as all Lindsey Davis' other novels.
I loved the comical ending of this one which I thought was just perfect. Not my favourite Lindsey Davis novel by any means, but fans won't be too disappointed....more
My degrees are in English and Classics so this poetic/play retelling of the Theseus and the Minotaur myth ticks all my boxes pretty much from the outsMy degrees are in English and Classics so this poetic/play retelling of the Theseus and the Minotaur myth ticks all my boxes pretty much from the outset.
It's also brilliant - Its a faithful retelling of the myth, but full of energy and humour making it accessible to modern and younger audiences. I love the different voices of the characters and its clever how their personalities come across with the use of different verse forms - Its good from a technical POV as well as for its great content.
This also highlights psychological aspects of the story making it really contemporary - I like how Asterion is manipulated into becoming a monster and isn't simply a brutish beast from the outset. Poseidon is both hilarious and a manipulative and petty bastard - He acts as both the chorus and as the main manipulator of events. I like the freedom of his verse styles, after all he is a god, so why would he be constrained by a single form?
Fans of Stephen Fry's Mythos, Ted Hughes' Metamorphosis and Simon Armitage's Odyssey will love this one. A real hoot from start to finish. Adored it. ...more
One of my complaints about Mythos, was that it focused on a lot of lesser known myths and didn't cover any of the really famous heroes. The reason hasOne of my complaints about Mythos, was that it focused on a lot of lesser known myths and didn't cover any of the really famous heroes. The reason has become clear - Most of them are in this second volume: Heroes. The one glaring omission is Odysseus, but it seems that he is getting his own volume, in Stephen Fry's 4th installment in the Mythos series - which I can wait for.
Heroes covers the myth cycles of Perseus, Heracles, Bellerophon, Orpheus, Jason and the Argonauts, Atalanta, Oedipus and Theseus. While its not as funny as Mythos, its a great overview giving the backstories of a lot of these stories, putting them into context.
I was a bit disappointed with Oedipus being a simple regurgitation of Sophocles Oedipus Rex (but this stems from the fact that I know the play really really well), I think I'd have liked more variation here. Similarly the Voyage of the Argonauts - I adored the fact that this really put the story in context, going right back to the creation of the Ram, but the actual voyage itself was a bit lacklustre. (Again though this could be too much knowledge is a dangerous thing....) but I felt this skimped a lot and didn't bring the adventure to life as much as it could have done. It was also weird not to have Atalanta amongst the crew - I know this was because she gets her own section, but in most versions she's the only female Argonaut, which I rather like. In Fry's version its Atlanta rather than Theseus who gets turned away....
Otherwise I really enjoyed this. Particularly the Bellerophon and Theseus sections which covered stories I wasn't familiar with.
The other thing that is great about this is the list of characters at the back - Supremely useful and wonderfully laid out into section - this Index is a who's who of Greek Mythology, listing parentage and a sentence or two about their story. I have a feeling I'm going to be referring to this ALOT as its a really handy digest.
On the whole Heroes is a fantastic retelling of the heroic myth cycles. I love Fry's footnotes almost as much as the stories themselves and he offers lots of helpful hints on pronunciation - Thank You! I didn't enjoy this one as much as Mythos, I think simply because it covers familiar territory so I didn't feel I was learning anything new about Hercules, Jason or Oedipus... Still there was plenty in the other sections that I'd forgotten about and its written in a lively, entertaining manner which makes this a must have for Classics fans....more
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