We Goddesses

by Doris Orgel, Marilee Heyer (Illustrator)

In "life" they hardly got along but their book is a triumph of witty robust spell-casting collaboration. The Greek myths have never before been told by their leading ladies. Nor ever before in such a charming conversational yet dramatic and modern way. The tellings of Athena Aphrodite and Hera intertwine (though none repeats a myth) enabling us to hear more than one perspective on events and motives -- say for instance their wrangle over the golden apple and the outbreak of the Trojan War. And the cast of Olympian mortal and animal characters is unforgettable as it has been since the times of Homer Hesiod Virgil and Ovid whose originals are the author's first sources here. Miraculous births triumphs and sorrows in love spats and adventures are all given a personal vividness the voice of each goddess being distinctly her own. An introduction in the author's voice casts light on the Greeks' sense of right and wrong and on their attitudes toward the social/political position of women (debased on earth exalted on high) as well as explaining how children helped in the shaping of this book. In an Epilogue/Afterword the goddesses personally invite readers to Olympus to choose among them as the young shepherd Paris had to. But now their rivalries stilled a sense of sisterhood prevails. Opulent original paintings adorn their tellings; back-matter pages of sculptures vases and friezes show how Classical artists imagined the goddesses whose selves have proved to be deservedly immortal.

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Childrens, Young Adult, Picture Books, Folklore, Greek Mythology

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Doris Orgel is a children's writer. She was born in Vienna, Austria. As a child, she and her family fled to Yugoslavia and finally the U.S. during the rise of the Nazi party in Europe. She attended Radcliffe College from 1946 too 1948, and graduated cum laude from Barnard College in 1950.

In her career, Ms. Orgel has written and translated several fairy and folk tales, as well as served as a translator for other authors. Prior to her work as a children's writer, Orgel was in magazine and book publishing. Her first original book, Sarah’s Room (1963) was published under the pseudonym Doris Adelberg. It was also republished in England and in Switzerland in German. In 1960, Ms. Orgel received the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for her translation of Willhelm Hauff's Dwarf Long-Nose (1960). Her book The Devil in Vienna (1978) received a Phoenix Award Honor in 1998. Ms. Orgel has also worked as a children’s book reviewer for "The New York Times".

She is married to Dr. Shelley Orgel; has three children: Paul, Laura, and Jeremy; two daughters-in-law: Sharon Lamb and Ling Chen Orgel; three grandchildren: Willy, Jennifer, and Julian; and three granddogs: Woof, Buster, and Otto. She lives in New York City.


For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/doris-orgel

Reviews

[Addicted to Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the paintings I found in this book!

I found this book in the centre where I voulunteer to help troubles teenage girls. I have to buy a copy of this book because of the paintings in this book and how the paintings brought the story alive!

One of the pictures though badly scanned

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book once before however, I had to buy it and add it to my own personal library. This book is unique and tells the story of the three titular characters from their point of view. Very creative and the writing is great.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love greek mythology, and this book (and the pictures) are really amazing.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I love Greek mythology, and this gives a full profile of the three major goddesses.

[Onyxia The Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautiful.I love the story about Athena(godess of wisdom)alot.Hera is second place.Aphrodite is third. :P

[Danice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illusdtrations in this book are gorgeous.

[William Razavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are superb and worth checking out on their own.
The scholarship is good and detailed and there’s a really good introduction which addresses some (but not all) of the problematic aspects of the mythology and the culture it came out of. (Slavery, misogyny)
The text is imaginative and clever and insightful.
There’s still some sanitization (many of which are signposted by the story itself so you know there’s some cleaning up going on) but on the whole it’s a real surprisingly sex positive work and what it lacks in bluntness it makes up for in terms of candidly bringing up some subjects that will have the white marble worshipping crown clutching their pearls.
I’m not a fan of the message embedded in Hera’s story even if it rings true to the character. It’s placement as the culmination of the narrative makes its celebration of marriage a little hard to take—it certainly left me with some serious ambivalence.
I would have liked to have had an alternate take on the Medusa story rather than the one proffered here but I understand the choice in context.
All in all this is better than I expected and I’d recommend it.

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a child and found it enchanting. Re-reading it as an adult, I have a different but nearly equal appreciation for their stories. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous; the book is worth checking out of your local library for the art alone.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this when I was 10! I loved it so much and to this day it remains one of the only books I’ve ever reread and reread. It was so informational and started a huge passion of mine into Greek mythology.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for a younger audience not familiar with the Greek pantheon, this book attempts to speak in the goddesses' own voices and "clean up" the myths primarily concerned with Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera - both in untangling the many versions and not going in to the, ahem, sordid details.

The choice is admirable. The writing is dumbed down. Shame. The kind of kids who will be seeking out Greek myths--I was one of them--will read the source material anyway. The storytelling is lacking because, well, there are so many other myths and versions NOT explored in an attempt to simplify and make likable three goddesses who were, at times, decidedly not. Especially Hera.

BUT WHO CARES? These ten, full-page illustrations are stunning!

Illustrator Marilee Heyer is at her finest here.

Ever read The Weaving of a Dream? Also amazingly written/illustrated by Heyer.

Scans courtesy of the internet. Though I'm not denying scanning all the full-page illustrations to my own computer...that's what scanners are for. Duh.

[Marybeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am doing a "let's re-read books I read when I was a kid while I'm at home". So this book was always my favorite when I was a child, and I must have taken it out of the library at least 10 times when I was young. On a re-read, the stories are all pretty good though short - understandable since I think the book is just under or around 100 pages and covers 3 goddesses. I was also kind of surprised on reread that the author discusses the status of women in ancient Greece in the intro (and mentions this in the stories, without it shading into "anachronism" or whatever you want to call it when characters in historical novels have the same beliefs as modern readers - not that that is an imposibility (though it is probably implausible), but you know what I am trying to get at. ). Also, the illustrations are drop dead take your breath away gorgeous. I would gladly buy prints of them if they were available. S

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was searching for this book for the longest time because I remember reading it when I was in Middle School and loving it and I finally found it!

The book is basically about the three Greek Goddesses: Hera, Athena, & Aphrodite. The stories are different in that it's told through their perspective and adds a touch of humanity and relatabilty to the reader. I always found the Gods fascinating since they still act very human and this book basically encompasses that. I think the stories are a good influence for kids, older kids. Younger kids might not get it as much.

The art is very lovely and in some cases do portray some slight nudity which is why I said this book would be best for more mature kids. Immature ones would just take advantage.

[Loveliest Evaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

A very poetic and intimate glimpse into the existences of three of the most renowned Greek goddesses: Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena.

With a very vague sense of time but a concrete narrative, the origins of each goddess are written along with passing mentions of various myths that they had played a part in or were peripherally involved in. Zeus plays a large part in all three of their lives and they cannot help but continue to respect and even somehow *love* him despite his frequent acts of impunity.

I skimmed the Afterword and didn't find it to my liking. Hera's narrative had ended so abruptly, I found; I would have liked it if the author had taken on all three at once to make an omniscient conclusion.

Oh well.

[J.C. Wing · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three biggest goddess in Greek mythology tell their own tales in Doris Orgel's creative book, We Goddesses. I was searching for information about Aphrodite but enjoyed reading about Athena and Hera as well. This book is beautifully illustrated by Marilee Heyer and includes photos in the back of collected artwork from places such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Art Museum at Princeton University. Great reference book, but written in story book format with language easily understood by younger people.

[scribsbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book. I kept trying to find a copy of it but found out not many were printed! The first time I came across it was at the library and I remember being very excited to see something like this (I LOVE Greek mythology). A few months ago, I tracked down a couple copies on Ebay and decided to purchase one for myself. I think the writing is wonderful and that the illustrations are absolutely stunning!

[{erika} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations with stories told from the point of view of Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. One among many of my favorite mythology books as a child.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the most beautiful illustrations of any book I have ever read. Ever.