Opinions of a Wolf

Summary:
This twelve section poem re-tells the mythological love story of Eros and Psyche with each section representing one month of the year.  Psyche, a mortal, and Eros, a god, fall in love, but Eros’s goddess mother, Aphrodite, disapproves of her son loving a mortal.  They therefore must face trials and tribulations to be together.

Review:
Since this re-telling of the Eros and Psyche myth was originally written in English, it is actually quite beautiful to read and/or listen to.  The use of the twelve months to tell the story lends it a certain relaxing quality, even when the lovers are facing trials and tribulations.

The story itself is typical of a myth.  Someone wants something.  A god or goddess doesn’t want them to have it.  They face trials and tribulations before besting or being accepted by the god/dess.  Nothing new there.  What is new is how prettily the tale is told.

It’s a short read, but it features some well-loved figures from mythology including Pan and Demeter.  There’s a particularly fun gathering of the gods and goddesses toward the end that demonstrates the interaction and clash of personalities that the Greeks and Romans believed in.

Overall, this retelling is well-handled, and the poetry is beautiful.  If you enjoy poetry or mythology, you will enjoy this read.

3 out of 5 stars

Source: Audiobooks app for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad

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