"Heroes" by Stephen Fry
A book about Greek 'heroes' and the circumstances that shaped their flawed misadventures.
It is easy snobbery to look down upon audiobooks. Renowned scholars have opined that listening is not really reading and they have been justifiably made fun of for their view.
As such, it is simply delightful to hear Stephen Fry’s talented and versatile voice narrate the Greek tales in this book. They gain particular significance in this format given that for eons altogether, it was through oral narratives that such stories survived and became an indelible part of Western thought and mythology.
Flawed Narratives
When it comes to legends and myths, it is the flawed and deeply human nature of Greek tales that has always stood out to me. Filled with hubris (not the meritocratic kind, of course), riddled with lust, divided by conflicting interests, and ever tempted by fates dictated by oracles and prophets alike, the Greek heroes, much like the Greek gods in Mythos, provide a deep insight into the human psyche.
Fry’s open stance as an atheist, in particular, lends his amazement towards these texts a flavour of childish curiosity. All good literature ought to stem from such a worldview, in my humble opinion- be it in the process of creation or in consumption.
Storytelling Removed from Originality
At its core, such a book works from the basic premise of retelling a story by simplifying it. Therein, Fry’s creative liberties and the several dramatic dialogues of the heroes in question do appear a bit too pulpy, if I may. However, as an educator, I am sympathetic to such a form, especially given how daunting the source texts tend to be.
In that regard, Fry does an excellent job of painting the diversity of narratives that exist and even pointing out flaws and merits of the source text- as in the case of Oedipus and Hercules (pronounced Her-e-cl-i-s, much to my Disney-fed chagrin).
What stood out to me more is how he constantly strove to bring these characters to life, excesses and all, sustaining his narrative quite well and even lending to the academic potential of inquiry.
Do read (or listen) to the book and place it in the trilogy of Mythos and Troy in order to get a fairly decent taste for Grecian mythology and legends. While it is not heroic to share and follow this newsletter, you would nevertheless partake in the continued tradition of storytelling by passing this tale forward to your peers.
Until next time, keep reading and glancing with curiosity at the stars- the cosmic ones, not your celebrities (the mythic origin of several constellations are laid out in this work).