May 08 2008

Achilles

Published by Fence under Books

Image of AchillesAuthor: Elizabeth Cook
ISBN: 0413771393 DDC: 813.54
Read for the Once Upon a Time Challenge
See also: LibraryThing ; John Sledge ; Brief author bio

Two rivers. Flowing in contrary directions.
Two layers of water, each moving steadily, separate and self-possessed.

When I was thinking of books to read for the myth section of Carl’s challenge I did consider the Iliad, and the Odyssey too, so when I was wandering around the library and stumbled across this book it seemed perfect. And I’m so glad I picked it up; it makes for a really good read.

This is a very poetic novel. And more than a tad post-modern. But don’t be put off, it is beautifully told. Or maybe told is the wrong word. Cook doesn’t really attempt to tell any story, rather she gives us flashes of scenes, hints at this and that, spartan[1] depictions of events and people. It works so well.

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Linknotes:
  1. see what I did there?
Tags: 813.54, 9 Stars, Achilles, Ancient Greece - Sparta, Ancient Greece - Troy, beautiful prose, Elizabeth Cook, Greek myth, Helen of Troy, historical fiction, Homer, Iliad, myth, Once Upon A Time Challenge, retelling myths, Trojan War

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