Orpheus in the Underworld

by Yvan Pommaux

Son of a muse, the young musician Orpheus has talent, beauty, courage, love. Then, in a moment, everything is lost. His bride Eurydice is killed in a terrible accident on their wedding night. Armed only with his lyre, Orpheus enters the desolate Underworld, where no mortal has ever gone before. He's determined to achieve the impossible—bring his wife back to life, restore their happiness, and ensure he's never in danger of losing her again. This gorgeous book retells the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice in a way newly relatable to young readers. Through its epic illustrations and captivating, carefully researched text, it earns its place in the canon.

Yvan Pommaux is a beloved children's book author in France who is known for his detailed research and illustration style. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris. Three schools have been named after him as a testament to the joy and educational appeal of his work for children.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mythology, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Comics, Classics, Fiction

56 pages, Hardcover

First published April 17, 2009

About the author

Yvan Pommaux is a beloved children's book author in France who is known for his detailed research and illustration style. In 1995 he was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris. Three schools have been named after him as a testament to the joy and educational appeal of his work for children. Theseus and the Minotaur is Pommaux's first book in English.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful retelling of this legend...a very good series for children.

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

With French cartoonist's Yvan Pommaux’s 2009 Orpheus In The Underworld (which was originally titled Orphée et la morsure du serpent in its original French and has been translated into English by Richard Kutner) the Greek myth, the ancient story of Orpheus and Eurydice gets a very nice and also not too violent, not too "adult" graphic novel adaptation (and not just a retelling, mind you, but also a bit of an introduction to Greek mythology in general, with there being pronunciation guides for the Greek names and places included in Orpheus in the Underworld and within the text proper as footnotes, supplemental mythological details regarding the main movers and shakers of the Orpheus and Eurydice tale, and finally, gloriously, a very much delightful list of titles for further study and reading).

And yes, I do very much appreciate that especially Pommaux's illustrations for Orpheus in the Underworld do not tend to glorify and present exaggerated visual brutality (as often seems to be the case for mythology themed graphic novels), how for example Eurydice being killed by a serpent (as she is fleeing an amorous stalker and would be rapist on her wedding day), the scenes in the Hades when Orpheus tries to rescue his deceased bride and Eurydice's husband Orpheus finally being murdered by an enraged and jealous female mob (angry that Orpheus is depressed after failing to rescue Eurydice from Hades, only able to sing gloomy songs and no longer caring at all about his audience, about the "adoring" fans of his music and his singing). But while the above listed scenarios are of course all depicted and described by Yvan Pommaux (and by extension translator Richard Kutner) in Orpheus in the Underworld since they are integral parts of the Orpheus and Eurydice story and thus should not be ignored, should not be left out, this thankfully happens with no overly extensive or gruesome pictorial detail, that despite potentially horrifying scenarios, the more adult sequences of Orpheus in the Underworld are visually (and equally in fact textually) nicely toned down by Pommaux, something that I very much do personally appreciate, but that this toning down also in no way interferes with presenting a realistic and faithful to the original tale combination of text and images and as such makes Orpheus in the Underworld more than suitable for younger readers.

However just to say, and finally, I guess that readers used the adventure and violence packed mythology retellings of authors like Rick Riordan could perhaps find the verbal and pictorial sedateness of Orpheus in the Underworld a trifle tedious and too tame, although for me, this has been what I have most enjoyed, what I have loved loved love regarding Orpheus in the Underworld and that Yvan Pommaux' combination of text and artwork in conjunction with the excellent supplemental information (see above) makes Orpheus in the Underworld a solidly four star graphic novel experience for me, both highly and warmly recommended.

[Fred Patten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This modern retelling of the ancient legend by French author Pommaux (translated by Richard Kutner) is a graphically attractive picture book with comic-book speech balloons for older children. "This is an ancient story, kept alive by the bards who sang of it again and again. This heroic tale changes with each retelling - but that is how myths are born."

Calliope, the Greek Muse of epic poetry, falls in love with the mortal king of Thrace. Their son Orpheus is given the god Apollo's lyre, and learns to play such wonderful music on it that wild animals lay at his feet to hear him play. Orpheus and the beautiful Eurydice fall in love and are married, but at their wedding she is bitten by a snake and dies. The heartbroken Orpheus, protected by his music, ventures into the Underworld, land of the dead, to find her ghost and bring her back to the land of the living. He finds her at the palace of the god Hades, king of the dead. Orpheus' music persuades Hades to release her, but he must walk ahead of her to lead her back to the world above, never looking backward until they are safe. Orpheus cannot resist looking back at the last moment to make sure that she is still following him, only to see her whisked away back into the Underworld.

This large 54-page hardcover album presents the complete legend in a modern cartoon-art format, with pronunciation footnotes of all names (CAL-LI-O-PE [kuh-lie-uh-pee]) and a biographical index of all the characters. Almost everyone will have heard of Orpheus from an early age; Pommaux's attractive book tells his tragic romance from beginning to end.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orpheus in the Underworld is the second volume from TOON Books in their Greek mythology graphic novel series by Yvan Pommaux. The first one was Theseus and the Minotaur, which I had the pleasure of reviewing last September. The tale of Orpheus is one that mythology buffs, like my wife, will recognize. I, however, needed a refresher course, and this book proved to be just the ticket. Orpheus was the son of the king of Thrace and Calliope, who was one of the nine muses. After he was born, Calliope had to return to Mount Olympus to entertain the gods, so she asked Apollo to give Orpheus his lyre. Orpheus' musical talent was natural and passed down from his mother. One day Orpheus was performing and fell in love with Eurydice. They were married, but she died very early. He therefore decided to follow her down to the underworld and try and bring her back. You'll have to buy the book to see if he succeeds!

Overall, the illustration style was very pleasing to the eye. The story was a mixture of narration blocks and character interactions with the traditional bubble text. A pleasant surprise for me was that the complaints I had about Theseus and the Minotaur were not present in this book. There was a love story, but the story didn't have sexual overtones like in Theseus. The story stayed true to the original myth and didn't try to change it or make it modern, which I always appreciate. Lastly, there were phonetic pronunciations of the hard to say Greek names; an index of characters and places; and even a further reading list! I highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to see what the third volume will be in this series!

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the higher level books in the TOON series and the second book by Pommaux in a subseries of mythologies. I'm a great reader of Greek mythology but this is one I have lesser familiarity with. I guess, I steer away from the love stories. It's a great tale though and half of it takes place in Hades, my favourite stories always involve Hades. This tale is a combination of "Romeo and Juliet" (doomed lovers) and the biblical story of Lot's wife (can't resist the temptation to look back). An exciting tale including love and romance, tragedy, and the doom and gloom of the Underworld. The art is gorgeous and appropriately done in the classic style. Another winner from Toon Books!

[Shakira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the Greek pronunciation guide & the ancillary materials in the back of the book. The only con for me was that the text was way too small!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gr 4-8 When his wife dies, Orpheus, a musician who can enthrall anyone and anything, enters the Underworld to ask for her return. He succeeds, only to be defeated by his own doubt. Orpheus' tale is a tragic one, and although the author does not censor it, instead leaving it open for discussion, he does select his words carefully. The story covers Orpheus' lifespan, but omits his time with the Argonauts, providing only elements relevant to "Orpheus in the Underworld". Only one pertinent detail is missing, the name Maenad, these female followers of Dionysus killed Orpheus, not random women. Additional notes and resources are in the back, however there are tiny errors in it, like calling Zeus' father by his Roman name Saturn, when the Greek name Cronos was used in the Hades bio. This is a simplified graphic novel with at most a few scenes per page, short dialogue bubbles, and some sound effects to supplement the narrated text. Those new to this format will have no problems navigating it. Soft lines, and misty colours create an atmosphere of lore. VERDICT A useful text to include in a lesson.

*reviewed for School Library Journal

[Melinda Wingate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, short read. It is definitely geared towards kids, but I enjoyed it still because I LOVE Greek mythology. My only complaint is that the artist gave Cerberus random snake heads in addition to his dog heads... I don't remember this being a thing? Or maybe I'm just rusty on my myths. Still worth checking out for the young nerd in your life!

[Maureen Milton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthy retelling with great endpapers that merits a spot in any classroom library as background information, as well as inspiration for aspiring retellers of classical Greek mythology. I did find myself distracted by the digital coloration; it cheapened the otherwise fine drawings.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining one for the kids.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the illustrations and the brevity, as both make the myth accessible to young readers. However, the dialogue sucked, was sometimes repetitive, and occasionally extremely violent (Tityos' entrails being ripped out daily by vultures, Orpheus being torn apart by passerby) so I don't know who the audience truly is intended to be.

[MarineCAT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great addition to have in your classroom. It covers the basics of the story with good illustrations. What I like most about this series is the refresher of terminology at the end. This allows even the seasoned reader to refresh their knowledge on Greek Mythology.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad story of a young ½ god with a beautiful voice who falls in love only to lose her to death. When he follows her Hades, his insecurity causes him to lose permanently.

Very easy to read with beautiful illustrations.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice pronunciation guide and glossary

[elle sánchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3★

I love the myth of Orpheus so much <3

[Arianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good i love greek myths.

[Raine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and a nice simple introduction to Orpheus and some other Greek figures

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talented musician Orpheus plays music that calms wild beasts and makes women fall in love with him. When he meets Eurydice, it would seem that he now has everything. But on their wedding day, fate steps in and causes her to step on a snake while fleeing from the unwanted attention of a wedding guest. Not ready to live without her, he heads to the Underworld to find her. Hades agrees to let her leave because his beloved wife, Persephone is so charmed by the music. But there is a condition, and sadly, Orpheus simply cannot follow that condition. Filled with lovely images, this graphic novel from France may rekindle an interest in Greek mythology, something that has long fascinated me. Students might enjoy finding and comparing the different versions of this particular story and wondering about the depth of a love that would prompt someone to go to the ends of the earth to find it and yet be unable to trust that his loved one was following.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is beautiful but doesn't marry well with the text. It comes off more like a picture book than a graphic novel. The covers for this series are boring, almost textbook like. The "player cards" in the end papers are a great idea but they don't "pop" visually. I think kids can learn a lot about Greek mythology from reading this book and others in the series, but it would have to be assigned reading for them. No kid would pick it these up on his/her own for recreational reading.

[Gary Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Myths lend themselves well to the comic form, and this version of Orpheus in the Underworld does a fine job of rendering the intricate tale of Orpheus and Eurydice into an engaging visual experience. The characters' faces though, for the most part, lack expression, and the drawings of most of the dramatic settings are gray and muted. So, while the myth itself makes this worthwhile, I hope future installments of the Toon Graphic Mythology series take more risks.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice in comic format for younger readers.

[Carol Tilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful in spots, but some design elements (e.g. pronunciations) were distracting. Felt more like a picture book than a comic.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

adaptation and organization are excellent