A Gift from Zeus

Steig, Jeanne

ISBN 10: 0060284064 ISBN 13: 9780060284060

Publisher: Joanna Cotler, 2001

Synopsis

Featuring Prometheus, Midas, Venus, Adonis, Perseus, and other Greek and Roman characters, a collection of sixteen myths are brought to life with a special twist.

About this title

Review:

Frolicking across Olympus, ablaze with jealousy, passion, and wit, the ancient gods of Greece and Rome have always been fodder for storytellers. And at last, the incomparable creative team of Jeanne and William Steig have stepped up to the task, retelling and illustrating 16 favorite myths with remarkable drollness and layer upon layer of nuance. Although no one ever accused Zeus and his cronies of being demure, in these delightful versions their bawdy behavior knows no bounds. Jeanne Steig does not shy away from telling it like it is; still, her writing is masterful and coy--not to mention uproariously funny. In "Demeter," when Hades tells his brother Zeus he has fallen in love, Zeus is enthusiastic:

"'A wonderful feeling,' he says. 'Who is she? A plump little mortal? A wiggly, giggly nymph?'

"'No, no,' says Hades. 'Your daughter, Kore. Our sister Demeter's girl. My niece. Yours, too, come to think of it. And her mother's.' The Olympians were a happy-go-lucky lot, for all their jealousy and mischief, and such distinctions were of small concern. 'I've come to ask for her hand--and all the rest of her!'"

Prometheus, Leda, Venus, Adonis, Echo, Narcissus, Arachne, Pygmalion... all of these mortals and immortals (and many more) are introduced and their sordid, touching, humorous, or tragic tales told in this tremendous collection by two immortals in their own right. William Steig's familiar style finds a perfect home in the depiction of a sobbing golden King Midas, for example, or the hapless Icarus tumbling from the sky. Readers be warned: mythology has always been fraught with ravagings and disembowelments and lusty couplings. The extraordinary Steigs simply embrace the naughtiness and render it irresistible. (This book is best for adults, but surely titillating for kids 10 and older as well.) --Emilie Coulter

About the Author:

Jeanne and Bill Steig have collaborated on three other books, including Alpha Beta Chowder. They live in Boston, MA.

About this edition

• Publisher: Joanna Cotler
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0060284064
• ISBN 13: 9780060284060
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 176
• Illustrator: Steig William