Review: A romantic tale that brings Greek myths to life
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 20, 2011
There is no doubt that the ancient Greek myths were communicated by word of mouth and later written for the masses, not for intellectuals. This being so, we can easily imagine that the words the people used to tell their tales were common-day words, with current idioms. We know that there were many versions of the same tales, the same acts, with different details and different endings, depending on what satisfied the story teller and listeners. We can suppose that many of the stories were told with humor, especially the tales of Zeus seducing all the pretty girls he could find and the mighty Heracles saving humanity like an ancient Superman, but occasionally bumbling because his intellect was not as powerful as his arms.This having been said, we can easily appreciate this humorous and witty and easy to read version of the Greek myths. It is written from a modern perspective just as the stories were modern when they were first told. We read the tale in the same spirit that the ancients would have read it. There is the romance, reminding us of Zeus. There is the strife and battles, a recollection of the relationship between Hera and Zeus, of Hercules, Jason, and others. But more than all, it is a very good story.