Three women figured prominently in the tale of Perseus: Danae, his mother, Medusa, the Gorgon he slew, and Andromeda, his wife. In Greek mythology, Perseus, descended from Zeus, is a perfect hero. However, the experiences of the three women in his life paint a different picture. In this book Perseus comes across as cruel angrily trying to prove his descent from Zeus.
Instead of the magic and fantasy of the Greek myth, this book is relentlessly realistic. The story is told from the point of view of each of the three women in turn. I liked that each woman had a section of the book to tell her story. It kept the flow going. I often find that a story becomes choppy when the author moves back and forth from chapter to chapter among characters.
While I found the book interesting, I am not a big fan of retelling myths in all the grim reality of the period. I enjoyed seeing how the author envisages the historical settings. However, for me the myths have their own beauty. It is the way people at the time looked on their gods and heroes and the magic and fantasy play a major role.
I received this book from Dutton for this review.
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