The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony (Paperback)

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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. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (February 8, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679733485
• ISBN-13: 978-0679733485
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #156,921 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 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)

"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.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unforgettable masterpiece in the eyes of a teenager., May 24, 1999

By A Customer

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A intense discovery of our fabulous past, May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This is a poem camouflaged as prose. An eye opener. You don't read the book, the book reads into you and, after a few pages to find the right keys, it starts using your words, describing your feelings. I have read this book 4 or 5 times, and I will read it again. It is like listening to a piece of music that fascinates you. Every time you read it, it gives you something more, something new, something you missed and were waiting to find. Amazing. I am glad I came across this book