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The Labyrinth
'The Labyrinth' tells the story of Theseus without any supernatural elements, set in Mycenaean Greece. It developed from using the myth in creative writing and drama with young people. Theseus makes his way to power by killing, first robbers who murder and torture, then in more ambiguous contests. I wondered how his character would develop and change under the pressures he faces on the road to Athens and in Crete.
183 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2013
1 person want to read
About the author
Ralph Britton
6 books4 followersI took an English degree at Fitzwilliam, Cambridge and a Phd at the University of Kent. I then taught at the University of Otago in New Zealand for six years, before coming back to the UK and getting a job at Bolton School, where I stayed until I retired.
I have published three books on Kindle, High Towers, The Labyrinth and Murder at Oxford 1642. Click on each book for a brief description.
I have published three books on Kindle, High Towers, The Labyrinth and Murder at Oxford 1642. Click on each book for a brief description.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 2, 2013
I have to declare an interest here, in that this book is the first novel written by my dad, about 20 years ago I think. The five-star rating is entirely impartial, of course.
This is a tale of a very flawed hero, which retains the broad brushstrokes of the Theseus/Minotaur story but through subtle changes of emphasis, rewrites it as a descent into a personal Labyrinth where what is really at stake is the protagonist's soul. The monsters to be faced are not supernatural creatures but human beings who are physically or mentally sick. In defeating them, Theseus undergoes a metamorphosis from man to hero, but leaves behind something of his humanity in the process.
That said, the book was written with teenagers in mind and the adventurous elements of the story are very much to the fore. The descriptions of the various adversaries and Theseus's cunning or daring tactics for dealing with them are full of vivid detail, and the first half of the book in particular moves along at a rapid pace. There are also some feisty characters, particularly the women, and some engaging interplay between them. It is mainly in the last few chapters of the book that the moral hits home, and it does so with considerable power. The revelation of the true nature of the Minotaur still shocked me even though I have read the book before.
The book will have strong appeal to teenagers - particularly boys I suspect - but it has a lot to offer adults too.
This is a tale of a very flawed hero, which retains the broad brushstrokes of the Theseus/Minotaur story but through subtle changes of emphasis, rewrites it as a descent into a personal Labyrinth where what is really at stake is the protagonist's soul. The monsters to be faced are not supernatural creatures but human beings who are physically or mentally sick. In defeating them, Theseus undergoes a metamorphosis from man to hero, but leaves behind something of his humanity in the process.
That said, the book was written with teenagers in mind and the adventurous elements of the story are very much to the fore. The descriptions of the various adversaries and Theseus's cunning or daring tactics for dealing with them are full of vivid detail, and the first half of the book in particular moves along at a rapid pace. There are also some feisty characters, particularly the women, and some engaging interplay between them. It is mainly in the last few chapters of the book that the moral hits home, and it does so with considerable power. The revelation of the true nature of the Minotaur still shocked me even though I have read the book before.
The book will have strong appeal to teenagers - particularly boys I suspect - but it has a lot to offer adults too.
Displaying 1 of 1 review