Jess’s Reviews > Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined > Status Update

-I enjoy classical studies & ancient folklore across the globe bc it’s interesting to see how people used to think. What people used to value, how they explained social norms & natural/scientific phenomena. Then, you tie it into our reality today. How do they compare & contrast? We all need something to believe in; we all need to explain things to ourselves & others.

-trans figure as well! I’d read that myth before, but I don’t quite remember where. I like Fry’s inclusion of queer & trans characters in his retellings, bc while those identities certainly weren’t the norm in Ancient Greece, they definitely still existed! <3 He also acknowledges sexism too & treats female characters with care. I love Stephen Fry!!! His afterword is spot on too. It really spoke to me bc-

Jason’s story concluded, we move on to Atalanta & the hunt of the Calydonian Boar.

-So while he was in the mortal world, she was still (just barely) in the Underworld. This is an intriguing interpretation; it means that his reason for looking back is because of excitement & an inability to practice caution/sense because of it. Jason is a conniving character, & the characters/plot points of the Argonauts quest are plenty.

Bellerophon is an overlooked figure when it comes to Greek myth; Pegasus is much more famous than he is. Likely due to Disney’s Hercules & the My Little Pony franchise, as well as miscellaneous fairy tale media. I found it interesting that in Fry’s retelling of Orpheus & Eurydice, Orpheus’s reason for looking back is clear cut. He accelerated his pace, & turned too early; Eurydice hadn’t caught up to him yet-

Ofc Heracles got himself into trouble as soon as he was free… now he has to serve more time & is dedicated to revenge, of all things. One thing I forgot to mention was that, through this collection, I learned that Heracles was given a different name at birth. When he was a baby, his parents named him Heracles in an attempt to appease Hera after she tried to kill him & his twin with snakes in their crib.

-more of your classic hero. Lots of combat, & a variety of it too. He has a tragic backstory & was born with bad luck (as a bastard of Zeus ofc). I love how Stephen Fry tells Greek myth, & he frequently makes me laugh too.

Classic Stephen Fry wit & expertise. I like that in the introduction, he states that you don’t have to know every name of every figure or place to enjoy or be knowledgeable of Greek mythology. There’s a lot to keep up with! Perseus is a cowardly hero who doesn’t do much in the way of bravery, combat, or even facing things head on. He deceives, & not even in particularly clever or cunning ways. Heracles is-