The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony [Paperback]

Roberto Calasso (Author), Tim Parks (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 1993

Presenting the stories of Zeus and Europa, Theseus and Ariadne, the birth of Athens and the fall of Troy, in all their variants, Calasso also uncovers the distant origins of secrets and tragedy, virginity, and rape. "A perfect work like no other. (Calasso) has re-created . . . the morning of our world."--Gore Vidal. 15 engravings.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

That Greco-Roman mythology should shape a contemporary novel is hardly unusual, but the way this breath-takingly ambitious work shapes--and reshapes--classical mythology is remarkable indeed. Calasso, publisher of the intellectual Milanese house Adelphi, revisits the theogonies set forth by Hesiod, Homer, Ovid et al. and then recasts them for a postmodern audience. Gods and men enact the cosmic mysteries as the narrator comments aphoristically on the progress of ancient and divine history ("With time, men and gods would develop a common language made up of hierogamy and sacrifice . . . . And, when it became a dead language, people started talking about mythology"). Calasso presents the abduction of Europa by a bull, analyzes the Trojan war, discusses the meaning of the word "tragedy" and charts the fall of classical Athens. Into this elegant chronology he also interpolates quotations from and allusions to a pantheon of classical writers, in the same weightless manner in which those writers made use of standard formulaic tropes; he extends his territory by planting modern points of reference ("Jason would have preferred to live a bourgeois life at home, just as Nietzsche would have preferred to be a professor in Basel, rather than God"). Readers who don't know their Theseus from their Thyestes shouldn't be discouraged--Calasso's work bridges the perceived distance from the origins of Western culture. Illustrations not seen by PW. BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A reconsideration and recombination of Greek mythology, this scholarly tome--which is being billed as both fiction and mythology by the publisher--reaches back extensively through the works of Plutarch, Ovid, Homer, and Plato, to name only a few of the classical writers referenced here. This interweaving of gods and goddesses and of their actions moves back and forth in time, with many comments from Calasso about both the action and its interpretation by scholars. The storytelling style is interesting, but novices of Greek mythology will soon find themselves awash in names and places and activities that are exceedingly difficult to keep straight. An extensive "family tree" of characters, an index, and even chapter titles, none of which are included, would have served as useful guideposts. Students of Greek mythology will be intrigued. Primarily for academic collections.
- Olivia Opello, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, N.Y.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 403 pages
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; First edition (March 9, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394581547
• ISBN-13: 978-0394581545
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,332,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rape, Plunder, and Sordid Hi-jinks, August 14, 2001

By 

Richard Wells (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony (Paperback)

"The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony," is a marvelous retelling of the Greek myths that puts a trace on their source, and a track on their permutations. More importantly Roberto Calasso explores their ramifications on modern times. And, he does it in a scholarly and entertaining way that never pulls us from the full world of ancient Greece that he recreates. Oh, those gods and goddesses were steeped in gore, and would wreck whatever havoc was necessary to have their ways with humanity and each other. The blood of every hero seems to begin with a sanctified seduction or rape, and end in a pool either before the gates of Troy, or as a result of that ten year war. Not to say that the humans act or fare any better than their divine counterparts. The greatest among them were small in their motives as they pursued homicide, parricide, matricide, infanticide and every other side of slaughter they could summon into being. But, as small as they were, they were heroes; and, as petty as they were, they were the gods; and their actions, reactions, and inactions shaped and continue to shape Western culture. "The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony" is a fitting companion piece to "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," and stands alone as a thrilling tale of the mortal and immortal excesses that have formed us.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A life-changing work of genius, November 20, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony (Paperback)

Roberto Calasso's retelling of the myths of antiquity is as powerful and life-changing a book as I've ever read. He illuminates these stories and brings them to life, showing us the power they held for the ancients by infusing them with his own narrative power, writing in a style which is crisp, modern, and yet full of fantasy. We see our own lives in the lives of the gods and the lives of the humans with whom they spoke, made love, made war. This book would be worth reading simply for the engaging way in which Calasso tells the stories. He doesn't stop there, however. His insights and interpretations are worth a book in themselves. Nearly every page of my copy is filled with checks and underlined passages, each representing ideas which provoked thought or simply struck me as brilliant. This book is not another dictionary of myths in the style of Bullfinch and Hamilton and Graves--it is a work of literature in its own right, and, I believe, a work of genius. If you are interested in classical mythology, read this book. If you are not, read this book. It is for anyone who wants to see the world in a different, richer way.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unforgettable masterpiece in the eyes of a teenager., May 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony (Paperback)

I first saw this book, very thick, one year ago, poking out of some shelf at my school's library. 'Greek myth, huh?' I was up for the challenge. I guess I knew the stories well, but the brilliant narrative and style was so absorbing, I was hooked. Calasso re-opened my eyes to the World of Greek myth! I can't remember how many times I went back to take this book out- more then five, as far as I know. What I enjoyed about it most was how each of the characters was brought to life, each with thoughts, and fears, and desires not unlike that of mankind today. The first time I finished this book I felt Calasso had altered my life, or my perspective on it. I had to go back and read it again, and again. Simply a work of art, this is a treasure of wealth in the form of written knowledge. And, personally, I don't care who you are or where you are form, just read this book. You'll see what I mean.