In Search of the Argonauts - by Helen Lovatt (Hardcover)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>"Few classical stories are as exciting as that of Jason and the Golden Fleece. The stirring tale of an adventurer who was also the son of a disenfranchised king and a daring sea-captain has resonated through the ages, rumbling and echoing like the clashing rocks which almost pulverised the Argo. The themes of the legend are perennial, and endlessly engaging. Even while it tells of a quest to the ends of the earth, of the villainous usurper King Pelias, of dragons' teeth, of the loss of Hylas (beloved of Hercules) ravished by nymphs, and of Jason's passionate liaison with the sorceress Medea, it speaks to us of more: of gender and sexuality; of heroism and lost integrity; of powerful gods and terrifying monsters; of identity and otherness; of exploration and exploitation. The Argonauts are emblems of collective heroism, yet also of the emptiness of glory. From Pindar to J. W. Waterhouse, Apollonius of Rhodes to Ray Harryhausen, and Robert Graves to Mary Zimmerman, the Argonaut myth has inspired later interpretations as rich and diverse as the ancient versions. Helen Lovatt here unravels the various strands of the tangled narrative and its numerous and fascinating afterlives in a book that will both inform and endlessly entertain all those who love classical literature and myth"--<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br>Few classical stories are as exciting as that of Jason and the Golden Fleece. The legend of the boy, who discovers a new identity as son of a usurped king and leads a crew of demi-gods and famous heroes, has resonated through the ages, rumbling like the clashing rocks, which almost pulverised the Argo. The myth and its reception inspires endless engagements: while it tells of a quest to the ends of the earth, of the tyrants Pelias and Aetes, of dragons' teeth, of the loss of Hylas (beloved of Hercules) stolen away by nymphs, and of Jason's seduction of the powerful witch Medea (later betrayed for a more useful princess), it speaks to us of more: of gender and sexuality; of heroism and lost integrity; of powerful gods and terrifying monsters; of identity and otherness; of exploration and exploitation. The Argonauts are emblems of collective heroism, yet also of the emptiness of glory.<br/> <br/> From Pindar to J. W. Waterhouse, Apollonius of Rhodes to Ray Harryhausen, and Robert Graves to Mary Zimmerman, the Argonaut myth has produced later interpretations as rich, salty and complex as the ancient versions. Helen Lovatt here unravels, like untangled sea-kelp, the diverse strands of the narrative and its numerous and fascinating afterlives. Her book will prove both informative and endlessly entertaining to those who love classical literature and myth.<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><i>In Search of the Argonauts</i> draws a vivid treasure map to follow the Argonaut story wherever it lands - from ancient epics to modern children's books to contemporary film and television. On this journey, Lovatt uncovers rich veins of meaning about heroism, masculinity, and leadership stowed within the various adaptations of the Argonaut tradition.<br><br>This is a wide-ranging study of many different versions of the Argonautic myth from antiquity to the present and in a broad range of media: poetry, novels, paintings, films. Lovatt skillfully shows how various retellings of the story bring out important issues, especially those concerned with gender and ethnicity, and shows the myth's centrality in many stages of western culture.<br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><b>Helen Lovatt</b> is Professor of Classics at the University of Nottingham, UK. Her books include <i>The Epic Gaze: Vision, Gender and Narrative in Ancient Epic</i> (2013) and (as co-editor with Owen Hodkinson) <i>Classical Reception and Children's Literature: Greece, Rome and Childhood Transformation</i> (2018).
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