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:
Alcmene: Herc's mother (She has knives everywhere)
Hylas: Herc's first friend (They were more than friends)
Megara: Herc's wife (She'll tell you about their marriage)
Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc's labours (He never asked for the job)
His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims.
It's time to hear their stories.
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(@HQstories, 31 August 2023, e-book, 413 pages, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @OverDriveInc)
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I love Greek Mythology and I love re-telling's, so Herc was a winner for me. I loved the approach the author took, recounting Hercules's trials and life from a range of perspectives including his wife, mother, siblings and the people he's wronged or crossed on his adventures. Hercules is shown not as the big hero but someone real, flawed and human, whose arrogance and stupidity knows no bounds. This is an entertaining read.