Ladon

Monsters of Mythology

by Bernard Evslin

Retells the myth of Ladon, the enormous serpent used by Hera to try to destroy Hercules

Genres: Mythology

Library Binding

Published January 1, 1989

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

[Tim Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly fun and quick reading middle grade children’s book on Greek mythology. I read it in one sitting in an afternoon and was pleased that it often took the point of the view of the monster, was actually rather sympathetic to the creature, had a surprisingly involved plotline, featured many of the “greatest hits” from Greek mythology (such as Hercules, Ares, Aphrodite, and the Amazons), educated me on a few aspects of Greek mythology, and had at times hilarious dialogue.

The central protagonist is Ladon, an enormous serpent-like legless dragon of sorts that in Greek mythology was bested by Hercules. Ladon was discovered coiled around the tree of the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides and was one of the many monsters beaten by this demigod. From what I gather not a great deal was written or sung about this monster, something this book rectifies.

In _Ladon_, we get the point of view of this often terrifying but in the end somewhat sympathetic monster. Sure, sure, Ladon often consumed entire villages and was a terrible monster, but Ladon also fell in love in this book, the lucky woman being a demigod, Iole, the beautiful red-headed daughter of the Rainbow goddess Iris. Iole herself in love with Hercules (and kind of on the run from Hera, as Iole has been helping Hercules avoid Hera’s many many punishments), we discover in the story that Iole at first is shocked at Ladon’s pronouncement of love and marriage (yes Ladon can talk and falls in love with Iole at first sight, which can be perhaps easy to forgive, as her “hair was a red-gold pennant in the wind and her fluttering tunic was of lilac and rose”), saying among other things she can’t be with him because he eats “in an unkindly way” and can’t be friends “with anyone who eats human flesh” and says Ladon would have to stop. One of my favorite exchanges in the book follows as Ladon strives to earn Iole’s favor as they discuss Ladon’s taste for human beings:
“When would I have to stop?”
“Immediately.”
“That’s very soon. Can’t I sort of taper off?”
“Absolutely not! Bad habits must be stopped immediately, or they go on and on and on.”

To my surprise, for a time Ladon does indeed go vegetarian (though this causes problems later on as Ladon consumes entire crops). While Ladon makes a good faith effort to win Iole’s love, Iole kind of leads him on, never seeming to really intend to actually romantically be with Ladon (though she does spend a lot of time with him). In the end, Iole cares only about Hercules (who seems more than a bit oblivious) and uses Ladon to help Hercules.

The other gods, chiefly Hera and Hecate (queen of the harpies) have other plans and seek to use Ladon to stop Hercules (much hated by Hera and Hecate, though Hecate seems to hate Hercules mainly to curry favor with Hera). I won’t go into any more detail, but the final confrontation between Ladon and Hercules was actually kind of sad, as events beyond Ladon’s control had lead him to fight Hercules.

Though I liked all the classical works of art that illustrated the book (including Monet, Raphael, Henri Rousseau, and many works of art from ancient Greece) my favorite thing about the book was the witty and sparkling dialogue. While some might find it perhaps a bit irreverent, I liked it. I loved how Hera ranted that she couldn’t find any monsters to sic on Hercules, as all “the best serpents and dragons and spear-birds and giant boars seem to be stuck in their holes or dens or undersea caverns or wherever the hell they lurk.” I liked how Hecate accepts the compliments from Hera over her plan to use Ladon to attack Hercules, with Hecate drawling “we have our moments.” I loved how there is a fear that the Amazons, in conquering a bunch of poets in their efforts to seek a husband, might commit “wholesale bardicide” and when Poseidon agrees to send out news that would lure Iole and Ladon to Hercules, with the hopes Iole, in seeking out Hercules, would bring the love stricken Ladon who would then fight Hercules, relying on Poseidon’s “shoals of gabby Nereids who can spread the news,” with the “jabbering” Nereids spreading the gossip that Hera and Hecate want Iole and Ladon to hear.

I liked this book, it was fun to read and pretty to look at and I plan to read more in the series.