Orpheus and Eurydice

by Sybil Gräfin Schönfeldt, Iassen Ghiuselev (Illustrator), Pauline Hejl (Translator)

The tragic tale of Orpheus, his gift for music, and his undying love for the oak nymph Eurydice is retold for children is this engaging picture book. This version of the classic story about the origins of singing according to Greek mythology features beautiful yet haunting color illustrations
of Eurydice's journey from the forest to the Underworld and back again.

Genres: Mythology, Picture Books, Nonfiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Sybil Gräfin Schönfeldt is an Austrian-German writer and journalist.

~~

Anna Sybil Gräfin Schönfeldt (* 13. Februar 1927 in Bochum, bürgerlich Sybil Schlepegrell) ist eine österreichisch-deutsche Schriftstellerin und Journalistin.

Sybil Gräfin Schönfeldt wurde als Tochter von Carl Graf von Schönfeldt (1898–1984) und dessen erster Frau Carmen geb. Sackermann (1905–1927) in Bochum geboren. Ihre Vorfahren aus Meißner Uradel waren im Jahr 1704 in Wien in den Reichsgrafenstand erhoben worden. Ihre Mutter starb mit knapp 22 Jahren sieben Wochen nach ihrer Geburt. Sie wuchs in Nassau an der Lahn, in Göttingen und in Berlin auf und wurde 1944 als letzter Jahrgang zum Reichsarbeitsdienst nach Oberschlesien eingezogen. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg studierte sie Germanistik und Kunstgeschichte in Göttingen, Heidelberg, Hamburg und Wien und wurde 1951 in Wien mit dem Thema Studien zum Formproblem in der Lyrik Josef Weinhebers zum Dr. phil. promoviert. 1952 volontierte sie beim Göttinger Tageblatt. Schönfeldt heiratete 1957 den inzwischen verstorbenen Heinrich Schlepegrell, mit dem sie zwei Söhne hat. Sie lebt und arbeitet in Hamburg-Winterhude.

Schönfeldt arbeitet als Journalistin, Übersetzerin, Kinderbuch- und Kochbuchautorin, ist freie Mitarbeiterin bei der Zeit, dem Stern und anderen Zeitschriften wie auch beim Rundfunk und Fernsehen.

Von 1981 bis 1984 war sie Vorsitzende des Arbeitskreises für Jugendliteratur, danach 2. Vorsitzende der „Auswärtigen Presse“. Von 1989 bis 1991 unterrichtete sie an der Berliner Zweigstelle der Hamburger Henri-Nannen-Schule.

Bis 1996 erhielt sie für ihre gastronomischen Bücher drei Goldmedaillen und fünf Silbermedaillen der Gastronomischen Akademie Deutschlands.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although every book should be approached with an open mind, and judged on its own merits, I found it difficult while reading this picture-book adaptation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, not to measure it against Charles Mikolaycak's version, which happens to be a personal favorite.

The text here, originally written in German, is more exposition than narrative, with copious declarations of fact: "Orpheus was born in the forest... Orpheus fell in love with a wood nymph," etc. Not having seen the original, I cannot say whether it is Schönfeldt that is to blame for this stilted language, or whether the responsibility lies with the translator - Pauline Hejl.

It is the work of the Bulgarian illustrator, Iassen Ghiuselev, that saves this book, and makes perusing it a worthwhile experience. Although his figures are painted almost as if they were statues themselves, somehow the effect is not flat, but dynamic. The scene in which Charon rows Orpheus across the River Styx is especially powerful, perhaps because all the figures are facing away from the reader, creating a sense of motion.

Concerned parents who balk at either the nudity or plot resolution of Mikolaycak's version, might find this picture book more congenial.

[Debi Cates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I picked up from the public library's Free table.

My biggest Little (my 8 year old granddaughter) told me a few weeks back that she was interested in Greek mythology. I've offered up a couple of mythology books since then but so far haven't hit on what it is she is interested in.

This book might be just the right thing. I thought the text and the images combined to make for a compelling tale, a sad love story.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Greek Mythology story of Orpheus , son of Calliope (one of the nine muses), and the love that he had for Eurydice. Every page is a masterpiece depicting major points of the story.
He was taught by Apollo to play instruments such as the lyre which he used to play accompanied with his voice to the animals in the forest. He fell in love with a tree nymph and she perished by an adders bite before hymen could bless the wedding (died on her wedding day). He went to the underworld where he crossed the river Styx in Charon's boat and sang to Cerberus so he wouldn't attack. He saw Sisyphus and Tantalus before he reached Hades where he sang his sorrow for Eurydice. He was given permission to take her if he did not look back at her but this is Greek Mythology so what do you expect.

[William Razavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have such weird mixed feeling about the Iassen Ghiuselev's art for this book. On the one hand, the aesthetics have a whole pre-Raphaelite lean to them in color and style and are very beautiful.
On the other hand, somewhere along the line someone made the choice to portray nearly every other person in these illustrations with their mouths gaping wide open and...(holding back laughter and tears) I know it's supposed to be singing. I really know this. But they look either like they're all shocked or like they're about swallow an entire zucchini.
Somewhere along the way an actual editor (this isn't some self-published zine, after all) looked at these gaping mouths and signed off on them. (They're singing, after all, don't you know?)
The thing is, I've seen lots of picture of actual people singing, and there's something really off about these illustrations and that thing is...none of these singers is showing their teeth. And that's what makes it look a lot more like this entire book was created with an eye toward being cut up and used for silly collages where Orpheus and the muses are chowing down on meatball subs and other less savory things.
Okay, but if you can get past the Gaped Mouth Getty Museum Collection images how does the story come out?
I don't know what the original German version of this was like but the English translation here has some occasional moments of beauty like "No one knows how huge the land of shadows is; but one day everyone will find his place there." And my personal favorite: "he sang so beautifully that Cerberus forgot to growl."
The ending feels a bit abrupt and tacked on and almost nonsensical. "And that is how singing came into the world" seems like it isn't really what the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is all about.
Orpheus has been singing for the entire book (since being taught by Apollo and the Muses). He's been doing that singing in the world. (I mean, unless he's just been running around slack-jawed and surprised for most of the story.)
You might as well have ended the story with "And that's why people wear shoes" which given how Eurydice (snakebite on the foot) would make more sense as a lesson.
Anyhow, it was going pretty well (notwithstanding all the open mouths) until the ending so I actually do like it.

[Rebeca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Las ilustraciones son hermosas y el relato esta bien explicado

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice retelling with good illustrations/

[Kristen Fort · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated retelling of one of my favorite myths.

[Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief introduction to a few mythological characters. Well illustrated. May be interesting to children, but I think it will spawn a lot of questions from them.