Greek mythology

Dec 7 2011

Tales from the Odyssey series by Mary Pope Osborne

I was vaguely familiar with Mary Pope Osborne‘s Tales from the Odyssey series but hand’t read any of it until I stumbled upon book two at a library sale.  My daughter had been studying mythology at school and is an avid reader so I thought this might be a good series for her.  So decided to read the whole series. (I read version that is broken into six books but the version in two volumes is more readily available.)

Here is a good description from an education site:

Greek classics, with all their complexities, are understandably a little difficult for younger children to understand, but hey, with sea monsters, one-eyed giants, beautiful royalty, sailors on a dangerous sea, angry gods and goddesses, powerful enchantresses that can turn people into animals, and other strange creatures, there’s not much more than an adventure-craving reader could ask for in a book. Mary Pope Osbourne has retold The Odyssey for middle-grade readers, breaking it up into volumes of 8 or 9 chapters each. Large, readable print, and a “classic” look add to the appeal while the books also include additional information about Homer and The Odyssey, a map of the voyage, and a list of gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece. Also, a pronunciation guide to the names is appended, making the difficult job of stumbling through those long Greek names a little easier for youngsters.

I am not an expert on the Odyssey, or Greek mythology, by any means but I thought the series was a well done children’s version of this epic tale.  More thoughts below.

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By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 0 • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Jul 13 2010

Corydon & The Island of Monsters by Tobias Druitt

Corydon and the Island of Monsters (Corydon Trilogy) is another young adult book I picked up in the discount section of Half-Price Books. It too deals with mythology and offers a non-traditional take (are you noticing a pattern?).

Here is the synopsis courtesy of the publisher:

A young shepherd, Corydon, is driven out of his village because of his unusual appearance and then captured and put on display as a monster. Alongside him in the traveling freak show are Medusa, the Minotaur, the Sphinx, and other classical beasts. When Corydon helps these monsters to escape their cages, they scatter to seek peace and solitude away from prying eyes. But then an army of “heroes” arrives hoping to win glory by killing the monsters, and Corydon must unite these unloved and unlikely allies to fight for their survival and for their island home.

It caught my attention for the above reasons, but also because Tobias Druitt is the pen name of a mother and son team – the mother Oxford Don and her still in school son.  It turned out to be an interesting twist on the Greek Myths – the monsters are the good guys. It pits the Olympian gods against the Chthonic gods.

The story is a little uneven in parts – mostly because it seems unsure of what type of story it is – a serious or semi-comic reworking of Greek mythology in a YA fantasy. But what saves it is the character of Corydon and his interaction with the monsters.

Corydon is the type of character you root for: sincere, loyal, generous, and brave despite his rough life and seeming inability to fit into normal society. There is a certain amount of cheesiness in the “all the misfits unite to defend themselves” story but for the most part it works.

While it isn’t deep literature the characters are interesting. The monsters become more than just symbols but characters with personalities and feelings. And the twist on the normal portrayal of the heros and Olympians proved interesting.

All in all an uneven but imaginative and entertaining first book in this trilogy. It will be interesting to see how the series develops.

By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 0 • Tags: , , , ,

Feb 13 2010

Atalanta and the Arcadian Beast by Jane Yolen & Robert Harris

A while back I stumbled on Atalanta and the Arcadian Beast by Jane Yolen & Robert Harris at Half Priced Books and picked it for a couple of bucks.  After having read the Merlin Triology by Yolen I decided it was a good time to check out this Young Hero Series.  I had already read one rendition of the Atalanta story (Quiver by Stephanie Spinner) so I was also interested to see how another YA author approached the story.

You really don’t need to know anything about the myth, however, to enjoy the story.  It really reads like a fast paced adventure story.  Here is the publisher’s teaser:

When her adopted father is slain by a strange beast, Atalanta is determined to take care of herself. She is happy in the forest with only her friend Urso — a giant bear — for company. She wants nothing to do with the world of men.

But the ferocious creature that killed her father is still out there, and Atalanta can’t resist the opportunity to hunt it down, even if that means she has to join forces with a group of hunters to do so. Atalanta must prove that she is as strong and brave as any of the others, as they search together for the deadly Arcadian Beast.

It is an interesting blend of action adventure and subtle explorations of issues like family, gender and identity that are so prevalent in Greek mythology

More below.

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By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 1 • Tags: , , , , , ,

Feb 1 2010

Ransom by David Malouf

The few dedicated regular readers of this blog will know that I am fascinated by myths and legends and of their reworking and re-imagining. So it is not a big surprise that I was intrigued by the novel Ransom by David Malouf.

Edmund White’s NYT review has a concise plot summary:

David Malouf’s “Ransom” reimagines the tragic story at the heart of “The Iliad.” Achilles mourns his childhood friend Patroclus after he is killed by Hector. Achilles takes his revenge by killing Hector in battle and desecrating his body.

The central action in Mr. Malouf’s novel occurs when Priam, Hector’s father and king of Troy, travels in a mule-drawn cart with half of the city’s treasure (the “ransom”) to plead for the return of Hector’s body so that it can be buried properly. Two instances of towering grief meet in the encounter.

As is so often the case, your knowledge of the backstory and your expectations will play a big role in your take on this story.

Those with a stronger knowledge of the Illiad and the story at the center of the novel might have stronger feelings and/or higher expectations that those who read it “straight” as it were.

But one thing I think everyone can agree on is that it is beautifully written and, at times, quite moving. More below.

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By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 0 • Tags: , , , , ,

Nov 25 2009

The Beautiful Stories of Life by Cynthia Rylant

At a recent trip the local library with the kids I stumbled upon this little gem.  As regular readers will know, I am interested in myths and fairy tales and enjoy seeing how authors rework and retell this classic stories for young and old.

The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greeks Myths, Retold by Cynthia Rylant is aimed at children but it makes for an enjoyable read no matter how old you are.

Here is the publishers blurb:

Newbery Medal-winner Cynthia Rylant retells her favorite stories from Greek mythology, breathing fresh life into the tales of Pandora, Persephone, Orpheus, Pygmalion, Narcissus, and Psyche. The writing is lyrical and understated, a perfect tone for stories that introduce young readers to themes of love and loss, pride and forgiveness. Carson Ellis‘s elegant black-and-white illustrations lend an aura of beauty and mystery.

Rylant’s style and tone reminded me of a good story teller sitting down and offering their version of these famous stories.  They are simple and straightforward – and thus enjoyable for young people – but they also contain brief commentaries or observations about human nature and life – which make them interesting and enjoyable for adults.

The reason these stories have stood the test of time is because they offer reflections and insights into human nature. And even as she simplifies them, Rylant keeps this foundation intact. But she doesn’t beat you over the head with some didactic lecture, but instead slyly offers her take on what these stories are getting at and why they resonate with us even today.

I think PW sums it up well:

The small format reflects the book’s purpose: to be a pleasurable sampling of some well-known Greek myths, their ideas and morals distilled to their core.

This would make a nice collection to have for bedtime reading, or storytime, but it would also be great for older readers wanting to get their feet wet with a simple introduction to the Greek myths.

By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 0 • Tags: , , ,