December 4, 2006
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Lester (Time's Memory
) retells the tale of Cupid and Psyche, with appearances by some highly appealing lesser Greek and Roman characters, such as Oizys, goddess of pain, and the highly likeable Favonius, the West Wind, along with his other wind counterparts. Psyche comes across as especially sympathetic; her kindness is just as striking as her beauty. And even those familiar with the tale may be surprised at just how vindictive Psyche's jealous sisters can be, as they prompt Psyche to break her promise to Cupid (Cupid, who comes to Psyche only under cover of darkness, asks her to vow never to gaze upon his face or risk losing him forever). Unfortunately, the vague persona of the omniscient narrator here detracts from the pace and poetic details of the tale. The narrator reveals only tidbits of information about himself; for instance as he watches Psyche's wedding procession, he notes, "This reminds me of my weddings. At all six of them, the bride cried." He also conjures a rather contentious relationship with "the story," as when he raises the question of how it is that Psyche never detected Cupid's wings in all their nights of lovemaking: "I asked the story about it. The story scratched its head and looked very confused." Still, for fans of romance and mythology, this is highly entertaining. Lester casts the two protagonists as adolescents coming of age through the trials and ultimate triumph of their love. Ages 12-up.
June 1, 2007
Gr 7 Up -Many readers think that classics have little relevance to our modern lives. But with the right author and the right turn on a classic tale, these stories can remain as relevant today as they were when they were first written. Julius Lester'sCupid (Harcourt, 2007) is a retelling of the ancient myth of the love story of Cupid and Psyche (originally written by Lucius Apuleius). Cupid, the Greek God of Love, and Psyche, a mortal princess, have a tempestuous love affair (and conflicts with Venus, Cupid's mother). Throughout their affair, Cupid and Psyche learn about themselves and the meaning of true love. With Jupiter's help, Psyche attains immortality. Lester's fresh and sassy prose brings new life and luster to the story, and actor Stephen McKinley Henderson's expert, enthralling narration always holds listeners' attention.On the other hand, M. T. Anderson'sThe Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing (Candlewick, 2006), winner of the 2006 National Book Award, falls flat because its uniqueness renders it unintelligible. In this imitation of Voltaire'sCandide, written in 18th -century language, young Octavian Nothing, an African child, is raised by tutors with numbers instead of names and subjected to experiments performed on him by Boston philosophers who seek to determine the intellectual ability of Africans. While the idea and the scope of Anderson's novel are fresh, the plot and the prose are so confusing that it becomes difficult to follow the story. The narration by actor Peter Francis James is first-rate, but only advanced high school students and aficionados of the Enlightenment will be able to wade through the novel. On the other hand, Lester's lively retelling of the Cupid classic enhances the original tale and makes it accessible to students.Larry Cooperman, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL
Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.