Jason and the Argonauts

by Bernard Evslin

Overview

Renowned mythologist Bernard Evslin’s retelling of the perilous adventure of Jason and the Argonauts 

“This story begins very soon after the world began, when great raw things called monsters roamed the unfinished places eating whatever they could catch.” So says Ekion, son of the god Hermes, as he relates the tale of the treacherous crusade of Jason and the Argonauts. When Jason, a prince with the gift of healing, is assigned a quest to obtain the golden fleece of the winged ram—which, once obtained, will set Jason upon his rightful throne as king—a fantastic adventure begins. In the vein of classic storytelling, mythologist Bernard Evslin offers his own masterful recasting of the famous tale of Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts, and follows the hero’s journey to its startling and tragic conclusion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631683640
Publisher:	Graymalkin Media
Publication date:	04/13/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	166
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Bernard Evslin (1922–1993) was a bestselling and award-winning author known for his works on Greek and other cultural mythologies. The New York Times called him “one of the most widely published authors of classical mythology in the world.” He was born in New Rochelle, New York, and attended Rutgers University. After several years working as a playwright, screenwriter, and documentary producer, he began publishing novels and short stories in the late 1960s. During his long career, Evslin published more than seventy books—over thirty of which were for young adults. His bestseller Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths has been translated into ten different languages and has sold more than ten million copies worldwide. He won the National Education Association Award in 1961, and in 1986 his book Hercules received the Washington Irving Children’s Book Choice Award. Evslin died in Kauai, Hawaii, at the age of seventy-seven.
Bernard Evslin (1922–1993) was a bestselling and award-winning author known for his works on Greek and other cultural mythologies. The New York Times called him “one of the most widely published authors of classical mythology in the world.” He was born in New Rochelle, New York, and attended Rutgers University. After several years working as a playwright, screenwriter, and documentary producer, he began publishing novels and short stories in the late 1960s. During his long career, Evslin published more than seventy books—over thirty of which were for young adults. His bestseller Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths has been translated into ten different languages and has sold more than ten million copies worldwide. He won the National Education Association Award in 1961, and in 1986 his book Hercules received the Washington Irving Children’s Book Choice Award. Evslin died in Kauai, Hawaii, at the age of seventy-seven. 

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6 Up Evslin's version of the story is very different from other modern retellings. Jason sets off with his companions in the ship Argo to recapture the Golden Fleece, but the crew of the Argo is different, and many well-known events are missing or changed. In an interesting afterword, Evslin explains that he has chosen lesser-known details from the classical sources and omitted the familiar; he does this without violating folklore tradition. His streamlined version has emotional involvement because of the first-person narrative of bitter, sharp-witted Ekion, Argonaut and son of Hermes, who colors the account dramatically with his fascinating personality. Unfortunately, Evslin periodically shifts point of view to different characters, interrupting the flow. But there is still more immediacy than in the third-person accounts of Ian Serraillier's The Clashing Rocks (Walck, 1964; o.p.) or Padraic Colum's The Golden Fleece (Macmillan, 1983). Characterization is excellent. Lethe, an egocentric, amoral bubble-head, is truly the valley girl of nymphs, and Medea is despicable. Motivations are clear for both mortals and gods, rendering their actions logical. Evslin's language is more accessible than Colum's heroic tone or Charles Kingsley's Victorian didactism. The plot is full of seething emotions which effect deeds. The book is exciting, and the fight scenes dramatic, but there is a feeling of not being completely fleshed out, and there are a few abrupt skips in plot. Full-page black-and-white illustrations reinforce the mood of the story. Despite small flaws, this is an interesting supplement to standard reading. Annette Curtis Klause, Montgomery County Libraries, Md.

School Library Journal

The characterization is excellent . . . The plot is full of seething emotions.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher