Cupid

[queens-thief.livejournal.com]

In one of those wonderful coincindences I was reading Cupid by Julius Lester when hazelwillow started the very lively discussion on the possible parallels of the myths Cupid and Psyche and Beauty and Beast in the Queen's Thief series. I thought about posting this in that discussion, but this community is about our love for books in addition to Gen, right? So I want to share this wonderfully hilarious and often insightful retelling of Cupid and Psyche. What I particularly love is the narration. It is told in the voice of a Southern black storyteller and he is as much a character as Cupid.
Here's a little something to whett your appetites without spoiling anything...

"Well, the daughters need names. The story is content to call them the 'elder sister' and the 'younger sister'. That is not good enough for me. The two sisters have to have names. I was thinking abnout having a contest to pick thier names, but the story would proabably get tired of waiting for all the votes to be counted, catch a bus, and go to somebody else to get told and that person would not tell the story the way it shoudl be told, which is how I am going to tell it. So I'll call on Thomasina, after a girl I had a lot of lust for in high school who wasn't lusting after me (bet she's sorry now), and I'll call the other one Calla. I have no idea if there is such a name, but it sounds like it belongs in the story."

I wish I could give you more--it's all quotable--but that will have to do.
Bottom line: go check it out! :)
And if you find more insight into QT you know where to go ;)

Comments

[thelasteddis.livejournal.com]

OMG CUPID AND PSYCHE IS MY FAVORITE MYTH OF ALL TIME

EXCEPT POSSIBLY FOR HADES AND PERSEPHONE (which is also awash in QT parallels)

In fact, I've been working on an animation that retells Cupid and Psyche - I can't wait to finish it, it's looking really good.

Now see, I've always seen the Hades and Persephone parallels in QT more than Cupid and Psyche. C&P was so nice - they loved each other from the beginning, there was no tension or violence involved. Whereas in H&P, Hades kidnaps Persephone - and although very little is mentioned, there must have been a lot of angst in there to turn sweet, beautiful Persephone into the dark queen of the underworld she is shown as in later myths. So I guess I might be reading too much into this story to find the parallels - but either way, it must have been an interesting relationship.

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

oh, this does sound like a fun read! Thanks for the tip.
*adds to wish list*

[kitsune-rains.livejournal.com]

Another really awesome retelling of this myth is C. S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces . This one is told from one of the "evil" stepsister's point of view; it starts out as an allegory against the gods but ends up twisting very nicely.

There are some good parallels between this myth and QT. What stands out most to me is the degree to which Gen and Attolia keep themselves hidden from each other, and how when they finally start to be honest the entire country falls apart around their ears.

[mycenaeth.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a great story!

Add cupid to any photo:

[(Anonymous)]

www.iCaughtCupid.com

Happy Valentines Day!

[main-titles.livejournal.com]

I love this book. :) I love retelling of myths in general, but this one really stood out to me because of its narration.