Quicksilver Book

Meh. This book is the equivalent of calling someone you meet 'nice.' Nothing's wrong, but nothing stands out. It's split into 5 episodes all narrated by Hermes--there's the Persephone/Hades story, Perseus vs. Medusa, Paris and the golden apple, retrieving Hector's body, and Odysseus and Calypso. Getting inside Hermes' head to see these events would be a great way for anyone unfamiliar with the myths to access and understand them. It did make me feel closer to the stories than when I read more traditional retellings, but...I already knew all the stories the author was retelling. Consequently, I was bored for much of the book, though I was able to fly through it quickly. There were a few minor elements in the author's technique, however, that were irritating (though not terrible): 1)Too often she throws in lots of exposition, and in her note at the end, emphasizes that she is trying to stay true to the original stories. That's fine, but I think paying more attention to style would have made for a more interesting read. The reader could figure out who characters are and some of their backstories if the author had a more engaging style; 2) Too often Hermes is simply an onlooker in how things play out (e.g. The Trojan War). This lack of action made for some dull reading at many points; 3) It would be fine if the emphasis on Hermes' thoughts and feelings made him an interesting character, but he comes across as rather bland. His main attribute that stands out: he feels guilty a lot--which again makes for boring reading. After mentioning that he's a trickster, a thief, a joker, those aspects barely get mentioned. If they had, it would have made for a much better book! For someone unfamiliar with these stories, however, this is a quick, painless, and more emotional introduction than most.