Jason and the Argonauts

by Bernard Evslin

Renowned mythologist Bernard Evslin’s retelling of the perilous adventure of Jason and the Argonauts
“This story begins very soon after the world began, when great raw things called monsters roamed the unfinished places eating whatever they could catch.” So says Ekion, son of the god Hermes, as he relates the tale of the treacherous crusade of Jason and the Argonauts. When Jason, a prince with the gift of healing, is assigned a quest to obtain the golden fleece of the winged ram—which, once obtained, will set Jason upon his rightful throne as king—a fantastic adventure begins. In the vein of classic storytelling, mythologist Bernard Evslin offers his own masterful recasting of the famous tale of Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts, and follows the hero’s journey to its startling and tragic conclusion.

Genres: Mythology, Fiction

150 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1986

About the author

Bernard Evslin was an author best known for his adaptations of Greek mythology. With over seventy titles, which include both novel-length retellings and short stories, Evslin is one of the most widely published authors of classical mythology in the world. His best-known work is Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths, which has sold more than ten million copies worldwide and has been translated into ten different languages. An estimated 30 million students have come into contact with Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths due to its repeated use in high school and college classrooms over the years. This bestselling anthology includes such well-known stories as "Theseus and the Minotaur" and "Perseus and Medusa." He also published non-Hellenic titles such as The Green Hero, based on the Irish mythological character Finn McCool. He also was involved in an audio book called: "Children of the Corn." It included "Whistling Boy" a Native American tale; "Pancho's Puppets," a story about a boy in Mexico, and other stories.

Reviews

[Sarah Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Detailed and accurate, probably best for older high schoolers or college age. Some themes are (admittedly accurately) depicted in this that I wouldn’t want younger kids being exposed to. However, the writing level is such that middle school or early high schoolers could easily read it…but then again certain themes didn’t necessarily need to be included to maintain accuracy of this myth… I won’t be recommending this book for my class I’m teaching due to that… this also is one of my least favorite myths so that also doesn’t help my review. 🙃

[Stuart Levy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful translation of an epic Greek myth that I had been wanting to read for quite a while.