Name: Herc
Rating: 3.75 (8 reviews)
ISBN: 9780008589851

Phoenicia Rogerson

‘Astonishingly vivid’ Jodi Taylor This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures...everyone’s favourite hero, right? Well, it’s not. This is the story of everyone else:

Herc

M. Sosotris

This was a ton of fun. It’s obvious the author really loves these characters. I appreciate the blending of slapstick comedic moments with moments of absolute horror and violence. It’s feels suitably chaotic enough to depict the Ancient Greek world. Also, the use of anachronistic language (especially with Ioalaus) brought to mind the Hercules and Xena shows from the 90s.

I appreciated how, despite all the chaos and comedy, this book was able to still get at the inherent tragedy of who Herc was. He wasn’t someone who would ever FIT into the world. He just had to do his thing. And since this is an oral history told from everyone else’s viewpoint, we get to get a more nuanced portrait of him.

The fact that it’s brisk and fun keeps this book from ever feeling oppressive and bleak, which I liked. I would definitely suggest this to folks who want an adventuresome romp through the world of Greek mythology filled with laugh-out-loud moments that catch you off guard amidst all the doom and gloom.

A queer, revisionist retelling of the story of Hercules, for fans of The Song of Achilles, A Thousand Ships and Ariadne. This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labors, his endless adventures... Everyone's favorite hero, right? Well, it's not. This is the story of everyone else: Alcmene: Herc's mother (she has knives everywhere) Hylas: Herc's first friend (they were more than friends) Megara: Princess of Thebes (she'll tell you about the marriage) Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc's labors (definitely did not hide in a jar) His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods and his victim It's time to hear their stories. Told with humor and heart, Phoenicia Rogerson's transporting debut gives a voice to silenced characters in this intoxicating retelling of the classic Hercules myth.

The reality of Hercules (Heracles), not as an amazing Hero, but of a broken, hated, beloved man who feared and adored fragility in equal measures. 

Herc

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