Monday 20 June 2016

Greek Myth in Children's Books Part 4

Whenever you delve into Greek myth, you come up against the tale of Troy. As much as anything it is about consequences and causes. If Peleus hadn't fallen in love with Thetis, they would not have had a wedding; Eris would not have been ignored, and she would not have thrown down the golden apple; the mighty goddesses Athena, Hera and Aphrodite would never have quarreled, and Paris would have been simply a glamorous, dancing prince, not the slayer of Achilles. The tendrils of the cycle reach from the beginnings of myth right down to the end, with Iphigenia being found alive at Tauris. 

Adèle Geras's Troy sees the story from the point of view of two sisters, living inside the besieged city, who fall in love with the same man. One can see gods; one can't. It's rich, detailed and imaginative, and proves just how vital those mythic battles are.

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