Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2021
In this spellbinding new collection,Charlotte Higgins reinterprets some of the most enduring stories of all time.
Here are myths of the creation,of Heracles and Theseus and Perseus,the Trojan war and its origins and aftermaths,tales of Thebes and Argos and Athens. There are stories of love and desire,adventure and magic,destructive gods,helpless humans,fantastical creatures,resourceful witches and the origins of birds and animals.This is a world of extremes,and one that resonates deeply with our own: mysterious diseases devastate cities; environmental disasters tear lives apart; women habitually suffer violence at the hands of men.
Unlike in many previous collected myths,female characters take centre stage - Athena,Helen,Circe,Penelope and others weave these stories into elaborate imagined tapestries. In Charlotte Higgins's thrilling new interpretation,their tales combine to form a dazzling,sweeping epic of storytelling,and a magnificent work of scholarship and imagination.
With a series of original drawings by Chris Ofili.
Publisher: Vintage PublishingISBN: 9781529111118Number of pages: 336Weight: 290 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 24 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'A gritty and exhilarating new version of the ancient stories in which the female characters take centre stage.'- Katy Guest,Guardian
'(A) scholarly,capacious reimagining... Higgins makes you feel for these tormented,accursed mortals afresh.'- Claire Allfree,The Times
'We are in the hands of a fine,fluent storyteller... Higgins,like the bards who first unspooled these tales,creates the illusion of spontaneity and handles suspense brilliantly... Chris Ofili's drawings complement the lyricism of the prose descriptions. Higgins depicts art mediating life - the reason,I think,that we read books... I loved this book.'- Sara Wheeler,Spectator
'Charlotte Higgins captures the raw,magical originality of the Greek myths in this beguiling book,charmingly illustrated by Chris Ofili... She knows her classics - and her myths - inside out.'- Harry Mount,Catholic Herald
'Higgins invests the tales with surprising new meanings... The command of Higgins herself,as the master weaver of myths,emerges forcefully... Ancient myths here acquire compelling modern form.'- Booklist
Charlotte Higgins
Charlotte Higgins is an award-winning British author and journalist.
Visit the Charlotte Higgins author page
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