I love this book so much that it has taken me several tries to write a review.
How perfect can a book be? Funny, mysterious, deep, intellectual, all in one title. A story about a young man finding himself, and a woman doing the same, with the supporting cast either having already done the work or just plain not interested. (And just like in real life, the people who have no interest in improving themselves are in very happy ignorance, while the ones who are searching for truth are in what seems unsurmountable angst.)
It's the juggling of the several stories, interwoven with Greek mythology, that seems so miraculous to me. The title comes from the name of the house in which most of the action takes place, the grand and beautiful home of Midas Goody. If you don't know any Greek mythology, you'll miss that he made a bad deal, like king Midas--but--and this is the fantastic part--if you miss that you will still understand and enjoy the story. The main character is named after the Greek hero Hercules but is not heroic. The turning point of the story is a trip to Cerberus--or, if you don't know your myths, it's just a venture into an old tomb.
I can't, in this review, make it clear how funny and true this book is. Not only my fave Natalie Babbitt, but my very favorite book.