- Paperback: 480 pages
- Publisher: Arena Arrow; New edition edition (Dec 1989)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0099601206
- ISBN-13: 978-0099601203
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,240,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Golden Fleece (Penguin Modern Classics)
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Product Description
Review
Shows the legendary cruise as one of the bawdiest, bloodiest, most boisterous expeditions of all time (Time )
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
The Golden Fleece tells the age-old story of the capture of the fleece and of its dramatic and heroic recovery by Jason and the Argonauts. Combining in-depth research and scholarship with literary and imaginary prowess, Robert Graves has created a thrilling and dramatic story from the ancient myth. And in the fierce battles that rage for power and riches, he reveals a legend that transcends the barriers of time and serves as a universal allegory for mankind. AUTHBIO: Robert Graves was a prolific writer and turned his hand to essays, translations, historical works, novels and short stories. During his lifetime he was known for his highly unorthodox and individual views, in particular on religion, but it was for his poetry that he most wished to be remembered. Ranked among the twelve poets of the Great War, Graves' verse is marked for its intensity and fervent passion.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Robert Graves account of the famous greek myth The Golden Fleece is a remarkably enjoyable and well described novel.
The reader is taken through each stage of the adventure as though we ourselves were aboard the argo. The other characters which featured in the myth, mainly the argonauts were described in as much detail as was necessary, the reader doesn't get the sense that Graves is drifting from the topic at hand, just broadening the story.
A difficult read yes, but the reader is rewarded as the myth unfolds.
A must read for all greek mythology lovers across the world!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Everything you want to know about Jason, the Golden Fleece, the Argonauts and the voyage of the Argo.
28 Mar 2008
This is the story of the mythic voyage of Jason and the Argonauts. In summary, the myth tells how Jason assembled a crew of Greek heroes and sailed the ship Argo to Colchis where he seized the Golden Fleece from King Aeetes and eloped with his daughter, the princess Medea. Most readers can readily understand Menelaus wanting to recover his abducted wife Helen from Troy, but what exactly was the Fleece and why would anyone want it? This book provides the answers. There are many versions of the myth, but with his unparalled knowledge of the classical world Robert Graves (widely recognized for I, Claudius) produced an outstanding, comprehensive and readable version. He synthesizes different primary sources into one whole. An alternative to consider is a translation of the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes, which is one of the sources used by Graves.
Readers will learn the nature and history of the Golden Fleece. The book begins with events that took place long before the voyage of the Argo and concludes with a summary of what became of the major characters. The cultural milieu within which conflicts between Greek city states arose is described in detail.
In his version Graves deconstructs most of the mythic elements. Thus, the sons of various gods become children born to temple prostitutes of the appropriate deities. Hercules is a big, garrulous drunkard with a large club. This may seem unappealing, but the characters in Greek myth are morally ambiguous anyway and Graves' Hercules grows on one as an unstoppable force of nature, no less impressive than in the traditional version. When he is sober his arrows never miss and he is indomitable in battle. Conflicts between the gods are explained as conflicts between different forms of worship. They are thus transformed into the machinations of this or that priest against a rival at a different shrine. This seems reasonable. What I find fascinating about Graves' writing is his use of his own idiosyncratic elements within an otherwise familiar story. In The Golden Fleece he introduces the background theme of religious conflict between an older matriarchal form of worship of the Triple Goddess (a sort of Earth Mother like that of many primitive religions) and a new patriarchal worship of Olympians headed by Zeus, imported by the conquerors of mainland Greece in the pre-historic times shortly before the voyage of the Argo. In this telling nymphs are female acolytes of the Goddess to whom marriage and submission to a male are anathema, but who promiscuously `company' with available men as it suits them. This is anthropologically dubious but could represent an ancient Greek male fantasy/fear that manifested as stories of Amazons, etc.
The book is a little long-winded at times, but it is comprehensive and educational. Readers will learn everything they want to know about Jason, the Golden Fleece, the Argonauts and the voyage of the Argo.
Readers will learn the nature and history of the Golden Fleece. The book begins with events that took place long before the voyage of the Argo and concludes with a summary of what became of the major characters. The cultural milieu within which conflicts between Greek city states arose is described in detail.
In his version Graves deconstructs most of the mythic elements. Thus, the sons of various gods become children born to temple prostitutes of the appropriate deities. Hercules is a big, garrulous drunkard with a large club. This may seem unappealing, but the characters in Greek myth are morally ambiguous anyway and Graves' Hercules grows on one as an unstoppable force of nature, no less impressive than in the traditional version. When he is sober his arrows never miss and he is indomitable in battle. Conflicts between the gods are explained as conflicts between different forms of worship. They are thus transformed into the machinations of this or that priest against a rival at a different shrine. This seems reasonable. What I find fascinating about Graves' writing is his use of his own idiosyncratic elements within an otherwise familiar story. In The Golden Fleece he introduces the background theme of religious conflict between an older matriarchal form of worship of the Triple Goddess (a sort of Earth Mother like that of many primitive religions) and a new patriarchal worship of Olympians headed by Zeus, imported by the conquerors of mainland Greece in the pre-historic times shortly before the voyage of the Argo. In this telling nymphs are female acolytes of the Goddess to whom marriage and submission to a male are anathema, but who promiscuously `company' with available men as it suits them. This is anthropologically dubious but could represent an ancient Greek male fantasy/fear that manifested as stories of Amazons, etc.
The book is a little long-winded at times, but it is comprehensive and educational. Readers will learn everything they want to know about Jason, the Golden Fleece, the Argonauts and the voyage of the Argo.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
The Golden Fleece, or Hercules My Shipmate
22 Feb 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I separated from Hercules My Shipmate 24 years ago but never forgot.
The characters live hard and strong, yet in numinous awe: Brooding skipper Jason, who couldn't punch his way out of a papyrus bag without Medea and Orpheus. And the bard-shaman Orpheus spins the fabulous myths, of Creation, of Prometheus, of how we entered the Iron Age; whose music out-Sirens the Sirens. Butes, who gets dead drunk on forbidden honey and jeopardizes the whole mission. Hercules, who wanders in and out of their lives like a doting uncle.
This book more than any other re-created the Goddess movement.
The characters live hard and strong, yet in numinous awe: Brooding skipper Jason, who couldn't punch his way out of a papyrus bag without Medea and Orpheus. And the bard-shaman Orpheus spins the fabulous myths, of Creation, of Prometheus, of how we entered the Iron Age; whose music out-Sirens the Sirens. Butes, who gets dead drunk on forbidden honey and jeopardizes the whole mission. Hercules, who wanders in and out of their lives like a doting uncle.
This book more than any other re-created the Goddess movement.
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