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A review by scrooge3
Hercules, My Shipmate by Robert Graves
3.0
While this book is worthy of consideration as a Retro Hugo finalist, I'm not sure it really belongs on the ballot. Known as [b:The Golden Fleece|634067|The Golden Fleece|Robert Graves|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1207115110l/634067._SY75_.jpg|772141], it was first published in 1944 in England. It was published in the United States as Hercules, My Shipmate in 1945. Considering that a hypothetical World Science Fiction Convention (whose members vote on the Hugo Awards) would have almost certainly been held in the United States in 1945, it's doubtful that enough U.S. voters would have been familiar with the book to nominate it (Worldcons are open to anyone in the world, but especially during wartime it's unlikely that very many from overseas would participate).
For students of Greek mythology, this is undoubtedly a must-read. Graves begins the book with a lot of background about the Greek gods, their names, etc. It turns out that many of the gods changed names or affiliations depending on which tribe was in power. For example, Poseidon was originally the god of forests, only later becoming the god of the seas because ships are made of wood. Zeus, likewise, went through many iterations, starting as a relatively minor god until later being changed into the father of the gods. But really, for the average reader, you could skip the first three chapters or so.
Then Graves goes into detail about what the Golden Fleece is, how it was stolen, and why it needs to be returned. Following that there is great detail about Jason and all the other Argonauts, how the Argo was designed and built, and only around Chapter 10 is the voyage launched.
The voyage itself is interesting, but Graves still goes off on tangents about various events that are only slightly relevant to the quest. Hercules is somewhat of a comic relief, but he leaves the crew about a third of the way through, and is only a minor character popping up here and there for the remainder of the book. I'm not sure why he gets named in the book's title. The Golden Fleece is a better title (and Jason and the Argonauts is really the most appropriate title).
I had trouble with the myriad of Greek character and place names. Many are recognizable from other books and movies, but many are not. The edition I had did not contain a map, so I really had no idea where any of the locations were.
I'm glad I read this book, but I don't know how much I really got out of it. An annotated edition would probably be better. At least I should have a better understanding of the wonderful Jason and the Argonauts movie the next time I watch it (although I already know that it doesn't really follow this book very closely).
For students of Greek mythology, this is undoubtedly a must-read. Graves begins the book with a lot of background about the Greek gods, their names, etc. It turns out that many of the gods changed names or affiliations depending on which tribe was in power. For example, Poseidon was originally the god of forests, only later becoming the god of the seas because ships are made of wood. Zeus, likewise, went through many iterations, starting as a relatively minor god until later being changed into the father of the gods. But really, for the average reader, you could skip the first three chapters or so.
Then Graves goes into detail about what the Golden Fleece is, how it was stolen, and why it needs to be returned. Following that there is great detail about Jason and all the other Argonauts, how the Argo was designed and built, and only around Chapter 10 is the voyage launched.
The voyage itself is interesting, but Graves still goes off on tangents about various events that are only slightly relevant to the quest. Hercules is somewhat of a comic relief, but he leaves the crew about a third of the way through, and is only a minor character popping up here and there for the remainder of the book. I'm not sure why he gets named in the book's title. The Golden Fleece is a better title (and Jason and the Argonauts is really the most appropriate title).
I had trouble with the myriad of Greek character and place names. Many are recognizable from other books and movies, but many are not. The edition I had did not contain a map, so I really had no idea where any of the locations were.
I'm glad I read this book, but I don't know how much I really got out of it. An annotated edition would probably be better. At least I should have a better understanding of the wonderful Jason and the Argonauts movie the next time I watch it (although I already know that it doesn't really follow this book very closely).