The Cyclops: A Love Story

by Emerson Littlefield

A monster in legend. A man in truth. A love story history never told.

Polyphemus the Cyclops feared in Greek myth was never meant to be a monster. Born different and cast out by the world around him, he grows up in isolation, sustained only by the fierce love of his sea-nymph mother Thoosa, the mischievous devotion of his younger sister Anastasia, and the quiet hope that somewhere, he might belong.

That hope takes form in Galatea, a shepherdess whose warmth and courage awaken Polyphemus’s longing for connection and dignity. But love in the ancient world is fragile, especially for those deemed unworthy of it.

When Odysseus arrives on the island, he is no wandering hero but a calculating raider, driven by greed rather than fate. Their infamous encounter retold countless times through Homer’s lens lasts only two days, yet alters Polyphemus’s life forever. Seen through the Cyclops’s own eyes, the myth transforms into a deeply human reckoning with betrayal, survival, and truth.
Rich with emotional depth and mythological insight, The A Love Story reimagines a familiar legend as an intimate tale of love, loss, and resilience inviting readers to question who history chooses to call a hero.

Perfect for readers who love character-driven myth retellings, ancient settings, and emotionally powerful stories that challenge the past.

314 pages, Paperback

Published May 16, 2025

About the author

I’m a retired high school and college English teacher who now writes full time. My books mostly fall into two categories: murder mysteries and re-tellings of ancient myths and legends. The mysteries follow a deputy sheriff named Denise “Midge” Sumpter in a small, rural northern Florida county called Wassahatchka. The re-tellings of ancients myths and legends include novels told in memoir form written by Polyphemus, the Cyclops of legend; Helen of Troy; Asterion, the Minotaur of ancient myth; and a real historical figure, Xanthippe, the wife of Socrates. In a similar vein, I’ve written a comic tale called Igor, which follows the adventures of Igor, the laboratory assistant to Victor Frankenstein. My most recent completed book is called 2062, a future vision.

Reviews

[Mark Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a retired English teacher myself, I could feel the care behind every sentence. Littlefield knows the myth inside and out, but he's not afraid to challenge it. The Odysseus we meet here is not the cunning hero of epic poetry—he's a raider, a taker, a man who sees other people's lives as obstacles to his own glory. That inversion is brilliant and unsettling. But what makes the book truly special is Polyphemus himself—his dignity, his pain, his stubborn refusal to become the monster they named him.

[Maven Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in expecting a tragedy. And it is, in some ways. But it's also a story about survival—not just physical survival, but the survival of the self against a world that wants to define you. Polyphemus's voice is so strong, so fully realized, that I forgot I was reading fiction. He felt like someone I knew. Thoosa's love, Anastasia's loyalty, Galatea's courage—these are the forces that sustain him. And in the end, that's what the book is really about: not the monster, but the people who loved him anyway

[Judy O'Berin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pacing is perfect—leisurely enough to immerse you in the world, but never slow. The prose is elegant without being fussy. And the emotional payoffs are earned, not manufactured. I particularly loved how Littlefield handles the "monster" question. Polyphemus is physically imposing, one-eyed, powerful—all the things the myth says he is. But those are just facts about him, not his essence. His essence is a man who wants to belong. And that longing is so universal, so deeply human, that you can't help but see yourself in him.

[eye Elfie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous, surprising book. I loved the way Littlefield weaves historical texture into the narrative—the mentions of Hittites and Egyptians, the sense of a world larger than the island. But he never lets the research overwhelm the story. At its core, this is an intimate family drama and a quiet love story. Galatea and Anastasia are wonderful foils to Polyphemus's solemnity—one grounded, one irrepressible. The emotional depth genuinely surprised me. This is not a light read, but it's a deeply rewarding one.

[Freya Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anastasia is one of the best sibling characters I've read in years. She's chaos and light and absolute devotion. Her relationship with Polyphemus is the comic relief, yes, but it's also the emotional foundation of his survival. Without her, he would have been swallowed by loneliness long before Odysseus arrived. And Galatea—practical, warm, unflinching—is exactly the kind of woman a man like Polyphemus would fall for. Littlefield understands that love isn't about perfection; it's about seeing someone clearly and choosing them anyway.

[Sarah Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim and was not prepared for the emotional sucker punch. The first half—Polyphemus's childhood, his isolation, his first tentative hope in Galatea—is beautifully rendered. But the second half, when Odysseus arrives, is where the book earns its keep. Littlefield doesn't make Odysseus a cartoon villain; he's calculating, pragmatic, utterly convinced of his own righteousness. And that's what makes it so chilling. The encounter lasts two days. The consequences last a lifetime

[Nancy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Galatea is the unsung hero of this book. She could have been a one-dimensional love interest, but she's anything but. Her warmth isn't weakness; it's courage. She sees Polyphemus when everyone else looks away. Their scenes together are so tender I found myself holding my breath. And Anastasia—what a creation! Her "boundless energy and endless tricks" (as the blurb promises) provide genuine comic relief without ever undermining the gravity of the story. A perfect balance of light and shadow