The Minotaur (Monsters of Mythology)

The monsters of mythology are often flat and cardboard in tellings of their stories, being always evil, bloodthirsty, etc. However, Bernard Evslin wrote this cool series where he fleshed out each monster and made them more real, giving them personalities and motives for their deeds.

This book is no exception, and the Minotaur becomes a sympathetic character, born out of the gods' punishment towards an arrogant queen. Minotaur even becomes friends with his half-sister (the Princess) and he is actually an likeable character, so you can't help but feel bad for him when the inevitable happens and Theseus comes to the labyrinth.

This is a retelling of the Greek myth about the Minotaur who lived on the Greek island of Crete and required Theseus to slay it. The monster lives in a labyrinth, symbolizing the mental and physical strength it takes to get through a maze and defeat the "monster" at the end of your own personal inner quest. The language in this book is a little more complex than simple, but the images are done in a slightly Greek style to be authentic. I visited Crete on vacation a few years back and I always appreciate seeing a physical place where myths are said to have taken place because it almost bridges the gap between reality and legend, instead of Gods and heros only living in the sky.

Mythology for young adults and older. This is not a book I would recommend for young children. But it is very well written. The stories are about the life of the Minotaur and are interesting and easy to read. It is my favorite book of the mythology I have read (which isn't saying much). But I imagine it would interest anyone interested in Greek mythology.