Hercules

by Bernard Evslin

Greek mythology’s mightiest hero faces the world’s most fearsome beasts, monsters, and demonsHercules, the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, was the greatest of the Greek heroes and the strongest man on earth. Three times as big as his fully mortal twin, and imbued with extraordinary courage and ingenuity, Hercules began his remarkable feats while still in the cradle. Zeus’s wife, the goddess Hera, jealously schemed to kill Hercules, but the resourceful half-man, half-god escaped her traps and accomplished seemingly impossible tasks. Renowned mythologist Bernard Evslin recounts the famous twelve labors of Hercules, as the warrior tries to break Hera’s curse by facing down the Nemean Lion, killing the many-headed Hydra, outwitting the giant Anteus, and more.

Genres: Mythology, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Bernard Evslin was an author best known for his adaptations of Greek mythology. With over seventy titles, which include both novel-length retellings and short stories, Evslin is one of the most widely published authors of classical mythology in the world. His best-known work is Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths, which has sold more than ten million copies worldwide and has been translated into ten different languages. An estimated 30 million students have come into contact with Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths due to its repeated use in high school and college classrooms over the years. This bestselling anthology includes such well-known stories as "Theseus and the Minotaur" and "Perseus and Medusa." He also published non-Hellenic titles such as The Green Hero, based on the Irish mythological character Finn McCool. He also was involved in an audio book called: "Children of the Corn." It included "Whistling Boy" a Native American tale; "Pancho's Puppets," a story about a boy in Mexico, and other stories.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book. I liked learning about the Greek gods and goddesses. Hercules had many hard tasks!

[Rebekah Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great retelling of the story

[James Fadeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although simple, Hercules was not Evslin's best work. Although there were some interesting elements he added that I do not recall, he really seemed to have skimped on fleshing out all of Hercules' labors. I won't say my time was wasted, especially since it was such a fast read, it is far from the most exemplary example of writing on Hercules.

[Linds · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good telling of the Hercules myth, though it leaves out the grizzlier aspects of the story since it's for children. All the highlights are here: The lion, the stables, the apples, and the hydra. Recommended for children ages 8-15.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a magnificent re-telling of the 12 labors of Hercules. A great introduction to Greek mythology. This book is a fun and easy read and faithfully follows the Greek tale.

[Steven]

This book is awesome. This is the book that got me hooked on reading.